Patriot Health Digest
While certain things like age and genetics can raise your risk of developing dementia, there are some habits that can cause you to be more likely to catch the disease. Here are three of the top bad habits that you should avoid at all costs to lower your dementia risk.
1. You Don’t Get Enough Sleep
Lack of sleep is terrible because it does not give your organs, including your brain, time to recuperate, and it might lead to bad memory and less energy and motivation.
Unfortunately, those with bad sleep quality, usually cause by issues like sleep apnea or insomnia, have a greater risk of getting dementia. A study released in the journal Nature discovered that people who sleep for less time are more susceptible to getting dementia. The Sleep Foundation says adults should get 7 to 9 hours per night.
2. You Are Isolated
Quarantines related to the pandemic have proven that isolation is mentally draining and can leave you feeling more sad and withdrawn than usual. Not having interaction with other people can also lead to dementia.
A study released in The Journals of Gerontology discovered that isolation was a risk component for lowered brain function due to the positive effects of socialization that can help maintain a happy and alert brain. Try to get social interactions throughout the week as much as you can.
3. No Brain Stimulation
Another huge factor for good brain health is mental stimulation, which essentially means exercising your brain each day. Keeping your brain active helps to stop the death of brain cells.
Brain exercises could be something like crosswords, chess or even simply reading a book or the news. Try changing things up and take up a new hobby, like painting or piano. Doing this will help your brain in the long run and help protect you from dementia.
Author: Scott Dowdy
