A growing body of research suggests that sleep disturbances, including insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome, may contribute to the risk of developing dementia. Studies have found that both short and long sleep durations may be associated with an increased risk of dementia, with women being more affected than men.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, sleep disturbances may be more than just an early warning sign of dementia. Research suggests that sleep disturbances may actually facilitate the onset of dementia, making them a critical target for intervention.
Studies conducted at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have found that symptoms of insomnia were more prevalent in adults with Down syndrome who had dementia compared to those who did not have dementia. Additionally, research has shown that sleep apnea, specifically the severity and frequency of hypoxemia during REM sleep, was associated with memory impairment in individuals with genetic risk or family history of Alzheimer’s disease.
While the exact mechanisms underlying the relationship between sleep disturbances and dementia risk are not yet fully understood, research suggests that treating sleep disturbances may help reduce the risk of dementia. This provides a hopeful avenue for future interventions, as sleep duration, insomnia, and sleep apnea are all modifiable with current treatments.
Further research is needed to understand the relationship between sleep disturbances and dementia risk, and to explore the potential for sleep-targeted interventions to prevent or delay the onset of dementia.
