Le sleep is essential for maintaining good physical and mental health. Among other things, it allows the brain toeliminate toxins and of consolidate the information received during the day. However, as people age, people often experience difficulty falling asleep or to have a good night’s sleep.
Many scientists believe that these sleep disorders contribute to cognitive decline and psychiatric disorders observed in the elderly. Researchers from Fudan University (China) and Cambridge University (United Kingdom) wanted to verify this. They discovered that sleeping 7 hours was the optimal duration to preserve cognitive performance.
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7 hours of sleep protect against cognitive decline
Nearly 500,000 adults aged 38 to 73 were followed in the international study. They were asked about their sleeping habits, mental health and well-being. They were also subjected to a series of cognitive tests. Brain scans and genetic data were collected for nearly 40,000 participants.
By analyzing this data, the scientists discovered that insufficient and excessive sleep durations were associated with impaired cognitive performance, such as processing speed, visual attention, memory and problem solving skills.
They also determined that the ideal amount of sleep for optimal cognitive abilities was 7 hours. This duration also helps preserve mental health. People had more than signs of anxiety and depression if they spent more or less time in the arms of Morpheus.
For the international team, their results suggest that excess and lack of sleep may be a risk factor for cognitive decline with aging.
In their article published in the journal Nature Aging on April 28, 2022, the researchers suggest that the link discovered between insufficient rest and the decline in cognitive skills could be due to the disturbance of slow (deep) wave sleep. Disruption of this phase has been shown to affect memory consolidation and lead to an accumulation ofamyloid, a key protein that can cause “tangles” in the brain characteristic of some forms of dementia. Additionally, lack of sleep can hamper the brain’s ability to get rid of toxins.
Professor Jianfeng Feng from Fudan University explained: “Although we cannot conclusively say that too little or too much sleep causes cognitive problems, our analysis of individuals followed over a long period of time seems to support this idea. . But the reasons why older people sleep less well seem to be complexinfluenced by a combination of our genetic make-up and the structure of our brain”.
“Having a good night’s sleep is important at all stages of life, but especially as we age. Finding ways to improve sleep in older people could be crucial in helping them maintain good mental health and avoid cognitive decline, especially for patients with psychiatric disorders and dementias,” added Professor Barbara Sahakian. from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge.