- Dementia is a chronic condition that impacts thinking, memory, and other cognitive functions.
- Researchers are still working to understand what risk factors increase someone’s chances of developing dementia.
- Data from a recent study suggests that people aged 65 years and older who have trouble falling asleep and who use medication to help them sleep may be at a higher risk for dementia.
- People at risk for dementia can take steps to improve their sleep quality and sleep habits.
Sleep is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Emerging data continue to demonstrate how poor sleep increases health risks. One area of interest is how sleep relates to the risk of developing dementia.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine examined the relationship between different types of insomnia and the risk of developing dementia in adults aged 65 years and over.
The researchers found that people who had trouble falling asleep — which doctors refer to as “sleep-initiation insomnia” — and people who took medications to help with sleep had an increased risk of developing dementia.
However, people who had difficulty falling asleep after waking up early — which clinicians refer to as “sleep-maintenance insomnia” — had a decreased risk of developing dementia.
There are different types of dementia, but one of the most common ones is Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Jason Krellman, assistant professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Medical Center, not involved in the study, explained to Medical News Today that “[d]ementia is a significant, usually irreversible decline in cognitive functioning that substantially limits the person’s ability to do their usual daily activities.”
While it is not clear why some people develop dementia and others do…
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