Poor sleep in middle age accelerates brain aging by up to three years

A recent study published last in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that poor sleep in middle age could accelerate brain aging, with effects that may be felt up to a decade later, according to La Opinión Digital. The research, led by Dr. Kristine Yaffe from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), indicates that individuals in early middle age who have poor sleep quality, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, show more signs of poor brain health in their late fifties.

The study involved nearly 600 adults with an average age of 40 at the beginning. Participants completed sleep questionnaires at the start and again after five years, revealing variations in brain aging based on sleep quality. Researchers focused on various sleep characteristics, including duration, quality, difficulties falling or staying asleep, waking up early, and daytime sleepiness.

Participants reported their sleep characteristics through questionnaires, responding to questions such as, "Do you usually have trouble falling asleep?" and "Do you usually wake up several times at night?" as reported by *Gulf Times*. At the start of the study, approximately 70% of participants reported only one poor sleep characteristic, placing them in the low group. Around 22% were in the medium group with two to three poor sleep characteristics, and 8% were in the high group with more than three sleep problems.

After 15 years, the participants underwent MRI scans of their brains to determine the biological age of their brains. Researchers used machine learning to assess changes in brain structures over the study period. The findings revealed that poor sleep was associated with advanced brain age in midlife. Researchers found a "dose-response relationship" between sleep quality at age 40 and brain age 15 years later, according to *The Hill*.

Participants who reported two or three poor sleep characteristics at age 40 had a brain age that was 1.6 years older than those who reported only one characteristic. Furthermore, those who reported more than three poor sleep characteristics showed a brain age 2.6 years older than their counterparts. Dr. Kristine Yaffe stated, "Our study, which used brain scanning to determine the participants' brain age, suggests that poor sleep is associated with an acceleration of brain aging by three years on average in middle age."

"The sleep characteristics most related to greater brain age were poor sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and difficulty waking up early in the morning," according to Gulf Times. This link was especially strong when individuals consistently suffered from these sleep problems for at least five years.

Dr. Clémence Cavaillès stated, "Advanced brain aging is associated with cognitive decline and Alzheimer's-related atrophy patterns," according to The Hill. She added that the new study "used brain scans to determine the brain age of the participants and suggests that poor sleep is linked to nearly three years of additional brain aging as early as middle age." "Therefore, poor sleep may be an important target for early interventions aimed at preventing neurocognitive decline, even before amyloid and tau accumulation begins," Dr. Cavaillès said.

The researchers emphasized that the study only shows associations and cannot prove that poor sleep directly ages the brain but reveals an important correlation. Dr. Kristine Yaffe, MD, of UCSF, stated, "Our findings highlight the importance of addressing sleep problems earlier in life to preserve brain health, including maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, exercising, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before going to bed, and using relaxation techniques," according to La Opinión Digital.

Techniques such as establishing a consistent sleep schedule, regular exercise, reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption before sleep, and using relaxation techniques can be key to avoiding sleep problems and their negative long-term effects. Experts recommend between seven and nine hours of sleep each night to maintain optimal brain function. The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging.

Additionally, a separate study published in Neurology and conducted by researchers at Yale University found that middle-aged adults with uncontrolled risk factors, such as high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, or cholesterol, and who also do not exercise, do not follow a healthy diet, or have sleep problems, have a higher risk of suffering strokes, dementia, and depression in the future. Dr. Santiago Clocchiatti-Tuozzo, author of the Yale study, explained, "Our study found that making these healthy lifestyle choices in middle age can have meaningful impacts on brain health later in life," according to Gulf Times.

This finding reinforces the idea that caring for sleep, along with other healthy habits, can be crucial for preserving cognitive function in old age. The impact of poor sleep habits on brain health remains an active area of study. Future research should focus on finding new ways to improve sleep quality and investigating the long-term impact of sleep on brain health in younger people. This body of research highlights the importance of adopting healthy sleep habits from an early age, including maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, exercising, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, and using relaxation techniques.

Sources: Gulf Times, La Opinión Digital, The Hill.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq