A new study has found that older individuals who experience excessive daytime sleepiness have a higher chance of developing dementia.
The study, published on November 6 in the medical journal Neurology, states that sleep disturbances increase the risk of motoric cognitive risk syndrome, a precursor to full-blown dementia. Based on these findings, the authors recommend intervening early when sleep disturbance is identified to help reduce potential cognitive decline.
The findings specifically highlighted a link between excessive daytime sleepiness and cognitive impairment in older adults.
“Our findings suggest also how precious sleep is. When it causes unusual sleepiness during our days, we should rethink our habits to best protect our brain,” said author Dr. Victorie Leroy, assistant professor at the geriatrics department at Tours University Hospital in France, who conducted the study as a former postdoctoral fellow at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s neurology department, per UPI.
According to the results, 35.5% of older individuals who suffered from excessive daytime sleepiness and low motivation ended up developing motoric cognitive risk syndrome, more than five times the rate of those who did not report these issues.
Even after adjusting for age, depression, and other health ailments, excessive daytime sleepiness and a lack of enthusiasm were still correlated with a three-fold chance of developing the condition.
Poor sleep has not been the only factor linked to dementia. Earlier this year, The Dallas Express reported that individuals consuming too much processed food also had a higher chance of developing the condition. The study, which followed 10,000 people in Brazil for nearly a decade, found that participants who ate the most ultra-processed foods experienced a 28% faster rate of global cognitive decline than those who ate the least amount.
The latest sleep study looked at 445 individuals with an average age of 76 and no current dementia diagnosis. Researchers assessed sleepiness by asking participants if they had difficulty staying awake while driving, eating, or during social functions. To gauge enthusiasm, they assessed how challenging it was for individuals to maintain motivation to complete tasks.
Dr. Alla Al-Habit, a neurologist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano, says proper sleep is critical to overall health.
“Prioritizing sleep hygiene practices, such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule, meditation and limiting screen time before bed could be helpful,” he said, per MSM.