representative image of sleeping woman
A new study finds that both insufficient or excessive sleep is associated with poor cognitive performance and mental health, including dementia.
The study, published in the journal Nature Aging, indicates that one possible reason for the association between insufficient sleep and cognitive decline may be due to disruption of slow-wave – ‘deep’ – sleep. This type of sleep disruption has been shown to have a close association with memory consolidation as well as the build-up of amyloid – a key protein that, when it misfolds, can cause the ‘tangle’ in the brain that is characteristic of some forms of sleep. could. Madness.
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Additionally, lack of sleep may hinder the brain’s ability to get rid of toxins, said researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University. For the study, the team examined data from around 500,000 adults aged 38-73 from the UK Biobank.
Participants were asked about their sleeping patterns, mental health and well-being, and took part in a series of cognitive tests. Brain imaging and genetic data were available for approximately 40,000 study participants.
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By analyzing these data, the team found that both insufficient and excessive sleep duration was associated with poorer cognitive performance, such as processing speed, visual attention, memory and problem-solving skills.
The researchers said that seven hours of sleep per night was the optimal amount of sleep for cognitive performance, but also for good mental health, with people experiencing more symptoms of anxiety and depression if they slept for longer or shorter periods. If reported, they get spoiled as a whole.