This is revealed by a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine which links difficulty falling back asleep with a lower risk of cognitive impairment.
Our health also depends on a good sleep. In fact, sleeping well has a strong impact not only on daily well-being but, in the long run, it also influences our quality of life. As an indication, 7-8 hours of sleep are considered sufficient to wake up refreshed and active (here the minimum amount of sleep per night depending on age). But in addition to the duration of sleep, to play an absolutely important role is also the quality of sleep at nightwhich can be compromised from the symptoms of insomnia which can occur as soon as you go to bed (initial insomnia) or with awakenings during the night (central insomnia) e difficulty falling back asleep (sleep maintenance insomnia). What was not yet known is that these sleep disorders do not all affect our health in the same way.
A new study on theAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine which, in relation to the risk of developing dementia, found that people with difficulty falling back asleep after waking up have a lower risk of cognitive impairment. “We expected that initial insomnia and the use of sleep medications would increase the risk of dementia, but were surprised to find that sleep maintenance insomnia reduced the risk of dementiaexplained Roger Wong, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University, USA, and lead author of the study.
Together with colleagues, Professor Wong looked into how long-term sleep disturbances are associated with the risk of dementia based on prospective data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a longitudinal study that collects information on a nationally representative sample of medical insurance (Medicare) beneficiaries in the United States. Previous research has associated REM sleep behavior, sleep deprivation (less than five hours of sleep at night), and short-acting benzodiazepine use with cognitive decline, but the effects of sleep maintenance insomnia they had only been observed in separate, smaller studies.
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For their analysis, the researchers used ten annual (2011-2020) datasets, including only people who were dementia-free at baseline in 2011, for a total of 6,284 adults. aged 65 or over. The most serious correlation emerged for sleep onset insomnia: those who reported it had a 51% higher risk of dementia when socio-demographic and health factors have not been taken into account. For sleeping pills, the analysis showed a 30% increase in dementia risk (after adjustments for sociodemographics and before adjustments for health factors). On the other hand, sleep maintenance insomnia resulted associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of dementia (considering both socio-demographic variables and health factors).
Overall, the results suggest the importance of evaluating different sleep disorders in relation to dementia risk, although new research is needed to explore the mechanisms of reduction in maintenance insomnia. “Focusing on variations of sleep disorders – added co-author Margaret Anne Lovier of the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University – it will therefore be possible to take paths that favor it lifestyle changes and reduce the risk of dementia”.