Too much or too little sleep among middle aged and older women increases their risk of memory problems later, a new study finds
Too much or too little of anything can be hazardous to a person's health - both mental and physical. While many studies have linked inadequate sleep to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality, others have highlighted that too much sleep also increases the risk of the same health problems.
Adding to the already long list, a new study by Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers found that middle aged women who sleep too much or too little may develop memory problems as they grow older.
"Given the importance of preserving memory into later life, it is critical to identify modifiable factors, such as sleeping habits, that may help achieve this goal," study leader Elizabeth Devore of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said in a hospital news release, according to Web MD.
For the study, researchers examined 15,000 women who aged 70 years and older. At the start of the study, none of the women suffered from depression or stroke. Researchers found that women who slept for less than five hours a day experienced worse memory decline compared to those that slept for seven hours a day. The same was observed among women who slept for more than 9 hours a day. Researchers noted that the difference in memory decline was nearly two extra years of age.
"Our findings suggest that getting an 'average' amount of sleep, seven hours per day, may help maintain memory in later life and that clinical interventions based on sleep therapy should be examined for the prevention of [mental] impairment," Devore said, according to Science Codex.
The study didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship and researchers said more research needs to be conducted to confirm these findings and explore possible mechanisms underlying these associations.
The findings were recently published in The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
