A recent study has shown that sleep deprivation in your 40s can accelerate brain ageing, with potential effects extending into your late 50s.
"Our findings highlight the importance of addressing sleep problems early to maintain brain health, including maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, exercising, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, and using relaxation techniques," said Dr Kristin Yaffe, from the University of California, San Francisco.
The study involved about 600 adults in their 40s who completed a sleep questionnaire. The participants were then divided into three groups based on their sleep characteristics to determine the severity of their sleep problems. The low group, which included about 70 percent of the participants, had one or more of six sleep problems, such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently or waking up early.
The medium group, which included about 22 percent of the participants, had two or three sleep problems. The high group, which included about 8 percent of the participants, had four to six sleep problems. These people had a high level of complaints, suggesting that their sleep was significantly affected.
After 15 years, after adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes and other factors, brain scans showed that people in the middle group had brains that were 1.6 years older than those in the low group, while those in the high group had brains that were 2.6 years older.
Of the six sleep habits studied, poor sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep and waking up early in the morning were associated with increased brain age, especially if people had these problems for at least five years.
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