It is often said that getting a good night’s sleep is important, but what is not so widely known is that poor sleep quality may reduce the size of the brain.
A recent study published in an online edition of the journal “Neurology” examined 147 participants between 20 and 84 years old and suggests a link between not sleeping well and brain shrinkage.
Researchers conducted MRI scans on participants at the beginning of the study and a second time 3 ½ years later.
At the time of the second scan, participants also filled out a questionnaire that revealed that most fell asleep after 20 minutes and slept seven hours per night on average. It also indicated that 35 percent of those studied had poor sleep health.
Areas of the brain that atrophy as a result of poor sleep include those associated with memory, planning, problem-solving, and reasoning. Additionally, part of the frontal cortex is shown to shrink.
The study also found that the decline in brain volume due to poor sleep was more pronounced in adults older than 60 years.
Anton Porsteinsson, director of Alzheimer’s disease care, research and education at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York told CBS that sleep disturbance is a common symptom among the general population and that it often worsens as people age.
“There is growing data to suggest that sleep disturbance may be a risk factor for poor outcomes in terms of brain cells and other medical issues as well,” he said.
Clair Sexton, lead researcher of the study and research assistant at the University of Oxford in England, said that humans spend approximately one-third of their lives sleeping and that sleep is suggested to be “the brain’s housekeeper.”
“It follows that if sleep is disrupted, then processes that help restore and repair the brain are interrupted and may be less effective, leading to greater rates of decline in brain volume,” she said.
Poor sleep can also affect the immune system, weight, memory, and cardiovascular health, Dr. Neal Maru, a neurologist and sleep specialist at Integrated Sleep Services in Alexandria, Virginia, told CNN. Furthermore, it can result in protein buildup in the brain that attacks brain cells, he told the news network.
Despite the correlation revealed in the study, Sexton said it is not yet clear whether poor sleep quality is a cause or result of changes in brain structure.
For those who desire better sleep, Sexton has some suggestions, including implementing a regular bedtime, refraining from checking emails immediately before sleeping, eliminating electronic devices (such as smartphones) from the bedroom and spending time out in the sunlight every day.
The study did not examine the relationship between a lack of sleep and brain shrinkage, nor did it analyze an effect on thinking skills.
(With reports from CBS and CNN)