How To Avoid This Common Mistake That Causes Dementia

It’s not a secret that sleep is important for many functions in our body. But now its importance has been proven yet again.

A new study released in the journal Nature Communications has revealed some stunning evidence on the connection between sleep and dementia in middle-aged adults. Here’s what they found.

Dementia and sleep.

This research looked at existing data from a study of almost 8,000 British people starting in 1985, done by University College London. During this research, participants reported their sleep length multiple times over a 25 year period. Some of them also used sleep-tracking devices to ensure they were measuring and reporting accurate numbers.

A team of scientists then searched for any connection between bad sleep and a higher risk for dementia later on.

They found their correlation—although the scientists note their findings are still not absolute proof.

But among the group of 8,000 participants, they found that middle-aged people who got lower sleep were 30% more likely to get dementia later in life—regardless of any other factor.

So what is “lower sleep”?

The study authors said that seven hours was the normal sleep duration, compared to six hours or under, which they said was too short.

What this means:

While the connection is not iron-clad, it is certainly another reason to always get at least seven hours of sleep every night, especially if you are in your 50s or 60s