How your sleep patterns can predict your risk of devastating dementia – and 6 other signs
STAYING up past bedtime and lying in on the weekend could raise your dementia risk, a study suggests.
Data from 88,000 Brits showed people with irregular sleep patterns – different sleep and wake times from day to day – were at increased risk of the brain disease.
People whose bedtimes jumped around the most were found to have a 53 per cent higher dementia risk than those with strict schedules.
Dementia is the UK’s top killer and now accounts for one in 10 deaths – 74,261 in 2022.
Study author Professor Matthew Paul Pase, from Monash University in Australia, said: “Our findings suggest the regularity of a person’s sleep is an important factor in their risk of dementia.
“Sleep health recommendations often focus on getting the right amount of sleep, which is seven to nine hours a night, but there is less emphasis on maintaining regular sleep schedules.”
The study, in the journal Neurology, tracked middle-aged people’s sleep with wrist-worn trackers for an average of seven years.
They were given a score out of 100 based on how well their sleep and wake times matched each day.
Those in the lowest-scoring group, who averaged 41, had the most variation in their sleep times.
Medical records showed they were significantly more likely to get dementia even than those who got an average score, which was around 71.
Prof Pase added: “People with irregular sleep may only need to improve their sleep regularity to average levels to prevent dementia.”
Research has found good sleep is vital for clearing out toxic dementia-causing proteins that build up in the brain.
Almost a million people in the UK have dementia and Alzheimer’s disease causes around two thirds of cases.
Signs someone has the condition can include:
- Memory loss and forgetfulness
- Finding it hard to concentrate
- Difficulty managing daily tasks
- Struggling to follow conversations
- Confusion about time and place
- Mood swings or mental health problems
Exercising, eating healthily, cutting out smoking and alcohol, and socialising can all reduce dementia risk.