A study on the correlation between sleep time and dementia in 1982 Chinese people
Getting enough sleep is a way to stay healthy, but falling asleep too early can put you at risk for dementia.
Last month, the Journal of the American Academy of Geriatrics published a paper on the relationship between sleep duration, sleep duration, and dementia among 1982 Chinese people with an average age of 70 years. Study participants initially had no symptoms of dementia. After an average of 3.7 years, 97 of them (5%) were diagnosed with dementia according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder 4th Edition (DSM-IV). The paper analyzed their sleep patterns.
Healthline, a health care media, recently introduced this study and reported that “There is a correlation between sleeping too long or sleeping too early and the risk of developing dementia.”
People who actually lie in bed (TIB, time in bed) for more than 8 hours showed cognitive decline in the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), a cognitive impairment measurement test. Those who slept before 9 p.m. had a 25% increased risk of dementia. Participants aged 60 to 74 were particularly affected, and men were more severe.
This is inconsistent with previous studies. Menlo Park Psychiatry, Sleep Medicine and Brain Foods founder Dr. Alex Dimitriu said: “In most studies, women are twice as likely to develop dementia as men.”
The study showed cognitive decline when TIB was more than 8 hours, but says sleep expert and clinical psychologist Michael Breus, “As you get older, you’re bound to spend more time in bed.” As you get older, your body cannot recover from stages 3 and 4, which are the deep stages of non-REM sleep, just like when you were young. “You may need more sleep to compensate for the poor quality of sleep,” said Dimitriou.
“Depression can make it difficult to sleep,” said Caitlin Tynan Doyle, a professor of neurology at Columbia University’s School of Surgery. “Also, heart disease or diabetes medications can make you tired and increase sleep,” she added.
Regarding early bedtime before 9 p.m., the researchers explained that “impaired circadian rhythm may have affected bedtime.” “The part of the brain that manages sleep changes with age and affects circadian rhythm,” said Dr David Rabin, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist and co-founder of Apollo Neuro, a wearable device for stress relief. he explained. “Other age-related factors, such as going to the bathroom more often at night, also interfere with deep sleep, and accumulated sleep deprivation leads to changes in the brain structures that control the circadian cycle,” he added. “In the early stages of dementia, the brain can get tired earlier during the day, making you want to go to bed earlier,” said Dr. Dimitrio.
Critics of the study point out that TIB may not necessarily mean sleep time. “People with insomnia may have prolonged TIB,” Dr Breus said. A recent Canadian study found that people with insomnia were at an increased risk of memory loss.
This study did not consider sleep quality, which is important in cognition and dementia. Not getting enough deep sleep can have a huge impact on your memory, so the quality of your sleep is important.