Poor sleep linked to accelerated brain aging
Poor sleep linked to brains appearing older, with inflammation playing a role.
Why it matters
- Poor sleep may contribute to accelerated brain aging.
- Improved sleep could potentially prevent cognitive decline.
By the numbers
- Study included 27,500 middle-aged and older adults.
- 6-month increase in brain age per 1-point decrease in healthy sleep score.
- 10% of the link explained by inflammation.
The big picture
- Poor sleep is associated with increased brain age.
- Inflammation may partly explain this association.
- Modifying sleep habits could potentially prevent cognitive decline.
What they're saying
- Comments reflect personal experiences and questions about specific conditions.
- Some humor and curiosity about reversibility of effects.
Caveats
- Participants were healthier than the general population.
- Sleep data was self-reported.
What’s next
- More research needed to determine if improving sleep can reverse effects.