3 common sleep habits may be tied to brain aging signs
Three specific sleep behaviors—sleeplessness, frequent daytime napping, and sleeping outside the recommended seven-to-nine-hour window—are linked to increased brain aging markers, according to a study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Researchers found these habits correlate with higher volumes of white matter lesions, which are associated with an increased risk of dementia.
The research involved more than 23,000 middle-aged and older adults from a large biomedical database. This project was a collaboration between the University of Arizona psychology department, the Zuckerman College of Public Health, and the University of Southern California.
White matter lesions are areas of brain damage that accumulate as people age. According to the researchers, these lesions are tied to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Which sleep behaviors are linked to brain aging?
Researchers identified three distinct patterns associated with increased white matter lesion volume in healthy people. These include sleeplessness, frequent daytime napping, and sleeping fewer or more than the recommended seven to nine hours per night.
Madeline Ally, the study’s lead author and a graduate researcher at the University of Arizona, says sleep is often studied as one overall measure. She notes that focusing on distinct patterns and habits prevents researchers from obscuring how sleep relates to brain aging.
A follow-up analysis specifically highlighted that participants sleeping fewer than seven hours per night showed increased lesion volume compared to those in the recommended range. Senior author Gene Alexander stated that too little sleep may lead to greater lesion volumes as people age.
How did researchers isolate these sleep risks?
The team initially looked at five behaviors: sleep duration, daytime napping, sleeplessness, unintentional daytime dozing, and snoring. While all five initially appeared associated with greater lesion volume, the results changed after adjusting for other factors.
The researchers accounted for lifestyle factors and blood vessel health, including smoking, physical inactivity, and high blood pressure. Once these were removed, only sleeplessness, frequent napping, and irregular sleep duration remained significant.
Snoring and unintentional daytime dozing did not maintain a distinct association with brain aging markers after these adjustments, according to the study findings.
What may happen in future sleep research?
The current data did not capture the specific timing or length of individual naps. Gene Alexander says future work may need to test if shorter, occasional naps have different effects on the brain than longer, more frequent ones.
Researchers may also seek larger cohorts of “long sleepers” to determine if sleeping more than nine hours carries the same white matter impacts as sleeping too little. The study did not find greater impacts in long sleepers, but Alexander noted this requires further follow-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are white matter lesions?
They are areas of damage in the brain that can accumulate with age and are associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Did snoring affect brain aging in this study?
While initially associated with lesion volume, snoring did not remain a distinct factor after researchers accounted for smoking, high blood pressure, and physical inactivity.
How many people participated in the research?
The study used brain scans and questionnaires from more than 23,000 middle-aged and older adults.
Do your current sleep habits align with the recommended seven-to-nine-hour window?