Study finds that poor sleep in your 40s can cause faster brain aging, read details

According to a new study published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, on October 23, poor sleep habits in the 40s may cause irreversible damage to cognitive function. Those who experiencing poor sleep hygiene had a brain age 1.6-2.6 years older than their counterparts whose sleep patterns were healthy. Good quality sleep has a ton of benefits like, repairing and rebuilding muscle tissues, enhances brain processing and memory, reduces the risk of inflammation, and enhances the immune system.

The researchers from the University of California San Francisco and other institutions found that adults who have poor sleep quality at around age 40 can have a brain age from 1.6 years to 2.6 years older than those with regular good sleep.

“Our findings highlight the importance of addressing sleep problems earlier in life to preserve brain health, including maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, exercising, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before going to bed and using relaxation techniques,” Kristine Yaffe, MD, a study author and professor of psychiatry at UCSF as well as a member of the American Academy of Neurology, said in a news release.

Yaffe continued further, “Future research should focus on finding new ways to improve sleep quality and investigating the long-term impact of sleep on brain health in younger people.” In their study, the researchers analyzed 589 individuals with a mean age of 40. Among them, 53% were females and 39% of them were man.

At the beginning phase of the study, it consisted a few questions asked to the participant, do they find it typically hard to sleep, do they usually wake up several times in a night or wake up far too early! The researchers put down the number of six poor sleep characteristics reportedly by each individual. The sleep habits included, short sleep duration along with bad sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep and early morning awakening.

From the responses, they categorized participants into three groups namely, 0-1 poor sleep characteristics, 2-3 poor sleep characteristics and more than 3 poor sleep characteristics.

At the starting phase, 70% of participants had no more than one poor sleep habit. Another 22% had 2 to 3 characteristics while 8% had more than 3 characteristics. The researchers then sent the same survey to participants 5 years later. After another 10 years, they used MRI scans and machine learning tests to estimate the participants’ brain age.

The study found that poor sleep habits in middle-aged adults are linked to accelerated brain aging, with participants having more than three poor sleep characteristics showing an average brain age 2.6 years older, and those with two to three poor habits showing an average brain age 1.6 years older, compared to those with one or fewer poor habits. Experts, including Clete Kushida and Scott Kaiser, emphasize the importance of quality sleep for brain health, citing its role in clearing brain debris, resetting neural networks, and reducing cognitive decline and dementia risk, with Kushida noting that early treatment could prevent neurocognitive dysfunction. Although the study acknowledges limitations, including self-reported sleep habits and observational design, the findings underscore the critical importance of prioritizing sleep for long-term brain well-being.

Age-based sleep recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):