In other words, your brain might age faster.
16% of the participants had chronic insomnia.
14% of the people with chronic insomnia developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia during the study, while only 10% of participants without insomnia developed those same symptoms.
Maintaining brain resilience “Our results suggest that insomnia may affect the brain in different ways, involving not only amyloid plaques, but also small vessels supplying blood to the brain,” Carvalho said.
“This reinforces the importance of treating chronic insomnia—not just to improve sleep quality but potentially to protect brain health as we age.
Compared to those who sleep better, those who suffer from chronic insomnia may see a quicker deterioration in their memory and cognitive abilities. This means that your brain may age more quickly.
Researchers found that those who suffer from chronic insomnia—defined as difficulty sleeping at least three days a week for three months or longer—have a significantly higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia than those who are healthy, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Neurology.
The study’s co-author, Diego Carvalho, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, stated in a statement released by the American Academy of Neurology that insomnia may have long-term effects on brain health in addition to how you feel the next day. We observed a quicker deterioration in cognitive abilities and alterations in the brain that imply persistent sleeplessness may be a precursor to or even a cause of future cognitive issues. “”.
three to five years older.
For the avoidance of doubt, the researchers only point to a correlation; they have no proof that sleeplessness causes brain aging. Over 2,500 cognitively healthy individuals, with an average age of 70, were followed for an average of five to six years by the study’s team. Of the participants, 16 percent suffered from chronic insomnia.
During the study, mild cognitive impairment or dementia occurred in 14% of participants with chronic insomnia, compared to 10% of those without insomnia. The researchers found that participants with insomnia had a 40% higher risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia than those without insomnia after controlling for variables like age, use of sleep aids, high blood pressure, and a diagnosis of sleep apnea. That equates to an additional 3 to 5 years of aging. They also performed worse on thinking tests more quickly.
Individuals with insomnia who reported sleeping less than usual during the previous two weeks were at a higher risk of receiving lower cognitive test scores at the start of the study, which is equivalent to being four years older. They also had higher levels of amyloid plaques, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and white matter hyperintensities, which are signs of possibly damaged brain tissue from small vessel disease. The latter’s accumulation resembled that of individuals with a recognized genetic risk factor.
preserving the resilience of the brain.
Carvalho stated, “Our findings imply that sleeplessness may impact the brain in various ways, involving not only amyloid plaques but also tiny vessels delivering blood to the brain.”. This emphasizes how critical it is to treat chronic insomnia, not only to enhance sleep quality but also to possibly safeguard brain health as we age. Additionally, our findings support the increasing amount of data showing that sleep is important for brain resilience in addition to rest. “”.
There was a higher likelihood of fewer white matter hyperintensities at the beginning of the study for participants who reported getting more sleep than normal during the previous two weeks.
The fact that the insomnia diagnoses came from medical records that don’t specify the severity of the symptoms or include cases that weren’t diagnosed limits the researchers’ findings, they acknowledge. But the study’s message—get enough sleep—seems obvious enough to me. If you are unable to, seek assistance.
