Changes in sleep habits could be a potential sign of dementia, an expert has warned.
Dr Neil Parrett, Clinical Psychologist and co-founder of The Live In Care Company, has highlighted the role poor sleeping patterns can play in the onset of the neurological condition.
It comes during Alzheimer's Awareness Month, which seeks to educate and create awareness around Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia through September.
As we age, it is normal for our sleeping patterns to change naturally. But the onset of dementia can bring on changes that mirror these.
This is because dementia disrupts what is known as our circadian rhythm - a collection of physical and psychological processes that guide our sleep-wake cycle by responding to indicators in our environment.
Dr Parrett explained: “Changes to sleep cycles are common features of dementia and are likely related to disrupted brain pathways that regulate sleep-wake cycles."
He added that poor sleep may play a role in dementia onset, as it helps keep the brain in good cognitive health.
"It is known that good quality sleep is important for many things, including memory consolidation and clearing toxins, so it may be likely that poor sleep quality is a risk factor for developing dementia," he explained.
However, there are multiple factors which contribute to disturbed sleeping patterns, so it is difficult to determine the exact cause.
"There are many different reasons why our sleep cycle can be disrupted, including psychological, chemical, hormonal and physical - which makes determining in advance whether sleep patterns may be a sign of dementia too difficult to tell," said Dr Parrett.
He concluded: "It is always a good idea to try to explore the causes of why your sleep may be disrupted, since getting good quality sleep is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle, so if you are worried about any changes to your sleep and you are unsure of why this is, then you can ask your doctor for more advice.”
A study conducted by the University of London in 2021 found that people who slept six hours or less per night in their 50s and 60s were more likely to develop dementia later in life.
Researchers examined data from nearly 8,000 people in Britain starting at age 50. Participants were assessed on a wide variety of measures, including being asked on six occasions between 1985 and 2016 how many hours they slept a night.
Some participants were fitted with sleep measuring devices to ensure accurate self reporting. Over the course of the study, 521 participants were diagnosed with dementia, at an average age of 77.
The findings, published in Nature Communications, found that people in their 50s and 60s getting six hours of sleep or less were at greater risk of developing dementia later.
Compared to those getting normal sleep - defined as seven hours, people getting less rest each night were 30% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.
While the findings suggests that short sleep duration during midlife could increase the risk of developing dementia later in life, more research is needed to confirm this connection and understand the underlying reasons.
Lead author Dr Séverine Sabia commented: “While we cannot confirm that not sleeping enough actually increases the risk of dementia, there are plenty of reasons why a good night’s sleep might be good for brain health.”
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