Dangerous link found between irregular sleep patterns and dementia

Scientists have given recommendations: how to protect brain health

Do you suffer from very irregular sleep patterns? Then there's cause for concern: Scientists say you're 53% more likely to develop dementia. Everyone knows that getting enough sleep is important for the brain. But research shows that falling asleep and waking up at the same time every day is also associated with a lower risk of developing dementia.

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Scientists found that very irregular sleep was associated with a 53% increased risk of the disease. And, according to the Daily Mail, they advised people who go to bed and wake up at different times every day to try to improve their sleep patterns – even moderately, – to protect your brain health.

Researcher Matthew Pace, from Monash University in Melbourne, said: 'Sleep health advice often focuses on getting the recommended amount of sleep of seven to nine hours a night, but less emphasis is placed on maintaining a regular sleep schedule. Our results show that a person's sleep regularity is an important factor when considering their risk of developing dementia.

His team analyzed data on 88,000 people with an average age of 62 in the UK, who were followed for about seven years. Participants wore a wrist-worn device that measured their sleep cycle over the course of a week, allowing researchers to calculate their sleep regularity.

A person who sleeps and wakes up at the same time every day has a sleep regularity index of 100, while a person who sleeps and wakes up at different times has a sleep regularity index of zero.

Then scientists looked at medical data and found that 480 people developed dementia. They found that, compared with people with average sleep regularity, the risk of developing dementia was highest in people who slept the most irregularly.

People with the most irregular sleep had an average score of 41; those with the most regular sleep had an average score of 71. People in between the two groups had an average sleep regularity score of 60.

Taking into account Focusing on age, gender and genetic risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, the researchers found that people with the most irregular sleep were 53% more likely to develop dementia than people in the average group. The researchers found that people with the most regular sleep patterns had no lower risk of developing dementia than people in the average group.

"Effective sleep hygiene education combined with behavioral therapy can improve irregular sleep patterns. – notes Matthew Pace. – Based on our findings, people with irregular sleep may only need to increase their sleep regularity to a moderate level, compared to a very high level, to prevent dementia.»

The findings were published in the journal Neurology.