It is known that it is not enough to get enough sleep, but scientists have now discovered that too much closed eye can be just as harmful.
Researchers have found that sleeping on average nine hours a night can feed the brain aging of the brain that lead to memory problems in later life.
The study, by scientists from the University of Texas Health Science Center, showed that this amount of sleep added on average six and a half years to the age of the brain of the participants.
Responding to the findings, they concluded that ‘long sleep duration’ could be an early and potentially reversible ‘risk factor for the memory -retiring disease.
The study followed 1,853 healthy adults aged 27-85 and studied how their sleep duration influenced cognitive skills.
The cognitive function of the participants was rated every four years with the help of gold standard measurements of memory, verbal reasoning, visually-spatial consciousness and response times.
Participants also completed a survey every four years, with details about the number of hours they usually slept every night.
The results showed that on average those who slept for nine or more hours a night performed considerably worse in all four cognitive tests in the course of the two decade study.
Disruptions in sleep duration are linked to an increased risk of cognitive defects and Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. The disease can cause fear, confusion and memory loss in the short term
Scientists discovered that the worst results were seen in people who showed depressive symptoms and had on average nine or more hours of sleep per night.
It is known that the mood disorder causes patterns of excessive sleep, and the experts are that depression, instead of sleep itself, can stimulate cognitive decline in these patients.
However, it is not only those who suffer from a low mood that run the risk of resting too much.
Participants who did not show any signs of depression, but slept more than nine hours a night, experienced a reduced cognitive function and struggled with global cognition and visual reproduction.
“Disruptions in sleep duration and patterns contribute to an increased risk of cognitive deficits and Alzheimer’s disease,” Professed Prof. Young.
The most recent findings are reflection of those of earlier studies, including a 10-year report, published in the Psychiatry Research Journal, which found on average more than eight hours a night, was coupled with an alarming 64 percent increased risk of dementia.
Currently it is thought that around 900,000 British have the memory robbing disorder
University College London scientists estimate that this will rise to 1.7 million within two decades if people live longer
Although experts are not entirely sure why surplus closed eye could contribute to dementia, one Swedish study suggested that the explanation can be with the impact on our circadian rhythms-the natural sleep-wake cycles that determine a large number of physical functions.
The experts of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm arent that sleeping can influence the ability of the brain during the day to free up waste that builds up during the day.
But the scientists Said it is also possible that brain damage caused by early dementia could feed a need for surplus sleep.
It comes when a milestone study suggested last year that almost half of all cases of Alzheimer’s disease – the most common cause of dementia – can be prevented by tackling 14 lifestyle factors.
These include hearing loss, high cholesterol, loss of eyesight and lack of exercise.
Experts claimed that the study, published in the prestigious magazine The Lancet, delivered more hope than ‘ever before’ that the condition that can be prevented of the lives of millions.
Alzheimer’s disease affects 982,000 people in the UK.
Alzheimer UK analysis of Alzheimer’s UK research showed that 74,261 people died of dementia in 2022 compared to 69.178 a year earlier, making it the biggest murderer in the country.
One estimate of 2019 brought the annual death toll at 70,000 people a year with the health problems that the NHS cost £ 700 million every year to treat.
The WHO places the annual global deadly toll of physical inactivity of approximately 2 million a year, making it one of the top 10 of the main causes of global death and handicap.
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