Sleeping Less Than Usual? Scientists Say It’s a Risk for Brain Health

Counting Sheep: If you find yourself staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping at night, you won’t like what these researchers found. In an observational study of 2,750 participants, scientists found a link between insomnia and a 40% increased risk for cognitive impairment.

The Study: Using data from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, the researchers identified adults who were not cognitively impaired, with or without an insomnia diagnosis, and underwent annual neuropsychological assessments. They looked at three key things: a molecular hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, a marker of brain vascular aging, and cognitive scores from the assessments. After accounting for confounding factors like sleep apnea, the researchers found that insomnia and poorer-than-usual sleep were associated with faster cognitive decline and poorer cognitive performance.

The Takeaway: This isn’t exactly a breakthrough. Consider it a reinforcement of what experts already preach: Good sleep — both in quantity and quality — is a critical part of brain health. 

Keep in Mind: This was an observational study, which means it cannot determine cause-and-effect, even after accounting for confounding factors. It can only tell us that there’s an association between insomnia and cognitive decline (which is enough for us to catch some extra ZZZs).