Sleeping more than nine hours each night increases the risk of dementia, study claims
SLEEPING more than nine hours each night puts you at greater risk of dementia, a study claims.
It found OAPs who enjoy a lie-in were twice as likely to develop the disease over the next decade.
And experts also found they have smaller-sized brains.
For adults who failed to finish school, the risk was six times higher if they slept for more than nine hours daily.
Scientists claim education may protect the brain against dementia.
Experts say it is likely that sleeping for longer is an early sign of the condition – and not too much sleep slumber that is fuelling the disease.
Researcher Dr Sudha Seshadri, from Boston University School of Medicine, said: “Participants without a high school degree who sleep for more than 9 hours each night had six times the risk of developing dementia in 10 years as compared to participants who slept for less.
“These results suggest that being highly educated may protect against dementia in the presence of long sleep duration.”
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The study, published in the journal Neurology, followed nearly 2,500 adults with an average age of 72 for a 10-year period.
Around 850,000 Brits have dementia – and there is no effective treatment.
But current medications can help to slow down the symptoms.
Experts said changing sleeping patterns could help predict the early onset of the disease.
Dr Rosa Sancho, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “While unusual sleep patterns are common for people with dementia, this study adds to existing research suggesting that changes in sleep could be apparent long before symptoms like memory loss start to show.
“Other studies have indicated a link between changes in sleep quality and the onset of dementia, and while this wasn’t measured in this study, it could be an important factor affecting sleep duration.
“Understanding more about how sleep is affected by dementia could one day help doctors to identify those who are at risk of developing the condition.”
