Researchers From Cambridge University And Fudan University Said That 7 Hours Is The Ideal Amount Of Sleep For People Above Middle Age. Too Little Or Too Much Sleep Is Related To Poor Cognitive Performance And Mental Health. Sleep Plays An Important Role In Realizing Cognitive Function And Maintaining Good Mental Health. It Also Helps To Stay Healthy By Removing Waste From The Brain.
As We Age, We Often See Changes In Sleep Patterns, Including Difficulties In Falling Asleep And Maintaining Sleep, As Well As A Decline In The Quantity And Quality Of Sleep. It Is Believed That These Sleep Disorders May Lead To Cognitive Decline And Mental Disorders In The Elderly Population.
"Getting Good Sleep Is Important At All Stages Of Life, But Especially When We Are Old."- Barbara Sahakian.
In A Study Published In The Scientific Journal Nature Aging On April 28, 2022, Scientists From The UK And China Studied Data From Nearly 500000 Adults Aged 38-73 From The UK Biobank. Participants Were Asked About Their Sleep Patterns, Mental Health And Well-being, And Took A Series Of Cognitive Tests. Brain Imaging And Genetic Data From Nearly 40000 Study Participants Are Useful.
By Analyzing The Data, The Team Found That Insufficient And Excessive Sleep Were Associated With Impaired Cognitive Abilities, Such As Processing Speed, Visual Attention, Memory And Problem-solving Ability. Seven Hours Of Sleep Per Night Is The Best Amount Of Sleep For Cognitive Performance, But It Is Also The Best Amount Of Sleep For Good Mental Health. If People Report Longer Or Shorter Sleep Time, They Will Have More Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression And Worse Overall Health.
One Possible Reason Between Sleep Deprivation And Cognitive Decline May Be Due To The Destruction Of Slow Wave - "depth" - Sleep, The Researchers Said. This Type Of Sleep Disruption Has Been Shown To Be Closely Linked To Memory Consolidation And The Accumulation Of Amyloid, A Key Protein That, When Misfolded, Causes "tangles" Unique To Some Forms Of Dementia In The Brain. In Addition, Lack Of Sleep May Hinder The Brain's Ability To Remove Toxins By Itself.
The Team Also Found A Link Between The Amount Of Sleep And Differences In The Structure Of Brain Regions Involved In Cognitive Processing And Memory. Similarly, Sleep Time Greater Than Or Less Than 7 Hours Produced Greater Changes.
Having A Stable Seven Hour Sleep Every Night Without Too Much Time Fluctuation Is Also Important For Cognitive Performance, Good Mental Health And Happiness In Later Life. Previous Studies Have Also Shown That Interrupted Sleep Patterns Are Associated With Increased Inflammation, Suggesting That Older People Are Prone To Age-related Diseases.
Professor Feng Jianfeng Of Fudan University In China Said. "Although We Cannot Assert That Too Little Or Too Much Sleep Can Lead To Cognitive Problems, Our Analysis Of Individuals Over A Longer Period Of Time Seems To Support This View. However, The Causes Of Poor Sleep In The Elderly Seem To Be Complex, Affected By The Combination Of Our Genetic Composition And Brain Structure."
The Findings Suggest That Insufficient Or Prolonged Sleep May Be A Risk Factor For Cognitive Decline In The Elderly, The Researchers Said. This Is Supported By Previous Studies That Have Reported A Link Between Sleep Time And The Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease And Dementia, In Which Cognitive Decline Is A Hallmark Symptom.
One Of The Study's Authors, Professor Barbara Sahakian Of The Department Of Psychiatry At The University Of Cambridge, Said. "Getting Good Sleep Is Important At All Stages Of Life, But Especially As We Age. Finding Ways To Improve Sleep In Older People May Be Crucial To Helping Them Maintain Good Mental Health And Well-being And Avoid Cognitive Decline, Especially For Patients With Mental Disorders And Alzheimer's Disease."