Poor Sleep Can Lead to Fast Brain Aging

Poor sleep could be speeding up brain ageing and raising the risk of dementia,
researchers have warned after analyzing brain scans from tens of thousands of adults.
A study by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden examined the sleep patterns and MRI
scans of more than 27,000 people in the UK aged 40 to 70. It found that those reporting
poor-quality sleep had brains that appeared significantly older than their chronological
age.

The research, published in the journal eBioMedicine, used machine learning to establish
a model of normal brain ageing based on the scans of the healthiest participants. When
the same model was applied more broadly, people with disrupted sleep stood out with
brains that looked prematurely aged.

Scientists have long linked poor sleep to cognitive decline, but the precise relationship
with dementia remains unclear. Unhealthy sleep habits may hasten the onset of the
disease, they suggest, or they could be an early symptom of the degenerative process
itself.

“Sleep restores the body and protects the brain,” the researchers said. “When this
balance is disturbed, the brain pays the price.”

The findings add to mounting evidence that rest is not simply a lifestyle choice but a
crucial factor in maintaining long-term brain health. With dementia cases projected to
rise sharply in the coming decades, experts say understanding the role of sleep could prove
vital in slowing or preventing the disease.

Photo – Maria Korneeva