There are clear signs of a bad night’s sleep — fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating, to name a few — but it can also have hidden effects.

In a new study led by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), poor sleep was linked to faster brain aging in middle-aged adults.

While previous studies focused on older adults, the average age of the 589 people in this study was 40, according to a press release.

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Participants completed two sleep questionnaires five years apart. After 15 years, they underwent brain scans.

In a new study led by the University of California, San Francisco, poor sleep was linked to faster brain aging in middle-aged adults. (iStock)

“We calculated brain age using a machine learning approach, using MRI data to estimate the extent of brain shrinkage corresponding to a specific age,” study author Clémence Cavaillès, PhD, told Fox News Digital. researcher at UCSF.

“We showed that poor sleep that persisted for five years – and particularly when linked to insomnia symptoms – was highly relevant to brain aging.”

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When assessing sleep quality, researchers looked at six poor sleep characteristics: short sleep duration, poor sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, early morning awakenings, and daytime sleepiness.

“We showed that poor sleep that persisted for five years – and particularly when linked to insomnia symptoms – was highly relevant to brain aging,” said the lead author of the study. study. (iStock)

According to Cavaillès, middle-aged participants with two to three poor sleep characteristics had a brain age 1.6 years older than those with no more than one poor sleep characteristic.

Those with more than three poor sleep characteristics had a brain age 2.6 years older.

“Poor sleep that persisted for five years – and particularly when linked to insomnia symptoms – was found to be highly relevant to brain aging.”

The results were published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

“These findings are critical because they demonstrate that the link between sleep disorders and brain health extends beyond adulthood, suggesting that poor sleep in early midlife may already contribute to a accelerated aging of the brain,” he said.

“If a person is experiencing persistent problems with sleep quality or symptoms of insomnia, they should undergo further evaluation,” a doctor advised. (iStock)

Advanced brain aging is associated with cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease-related models, noted the researcher.

“Therefore, poor sleep may be an important target for early interventions aimed at preventing neurocognitive decline, even before damage accumulation begins.”

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The researchers were surprised to find that there was no link between sleep duration and accelerated brain aging, Cavaillès noted.

“Sleep duration in midlife can be influenced by many factors, such as work, stress, multitasking or menopause,” he told Fox News Digital.

Advanced brain aging is associated with cognitive decline and patterns related to Alzheimer’s disease. (iStock)

“Thus, it is also possible that its association with cognition is more complex during this critical period, and potentially more difficult to capture and/or less impactful.” »

Overall, the study results suggest that the importance of sleep for brain health at quarantine would be more closely linked to quality than quantity, the researcher added.

“Integral relationship”

Dr. Jocelyn Y. Cheng, a New Jersey neurologist and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, was not involved in the study but weighed in on the findings.

“This study provides further support for the integral relationship between sleep and brain health,” she told Fox News Digital.

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“The findings highlight particular aspects of poor sleep, particularly early morning awakenings and persistent difficulty falling asleep, which were associated with greater age-related brain atrophy, as measured by MRI.”

Sleep plays a role in clearing beta-amyloid, the protein that builds up in the brains of people who develop Alzheimer’s disease, Cheng noted.

Sleep plays a role in eliminating beta-amyloid, the protein that builds up in the brains of people who develop Alzheimer’s disease. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse)

When someone gets poor sleepthis clearance capacity is reduced.

“Given that they are easily identifiable, the onset of these symptoms may represent a key moment during which intervention could mitigate the development of disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease later in life,” Cheng added.

Potential Limitations

The study had some limitations, including that it relied on people reporting their own sleeping habitswhich is not always accurate, according to Cavaillès.

“Also, because this is an observational study, we cannot say with certainty that poor sleep directly causes brain aging, only that there is a strong link between the two,” he said. -he added.

“This study provides further support for the integral relationship between sleep and brain health.”

Cheng agreed that causality could not be determined from the study, and also noted that she had not studied whether brain atrophy impacted cognition.

Despite these limitations, she said, “poor sleep may play a plausible role in brain health.” »

Improve sleep quality

Based on the results, people can improve their rest quality by adopting several good sleep hygiene practices, Cavaillès said.

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“They can start by maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day,” he said.

Regular exercise can help improve sleep quality, experts agree. (iStock)

“Creating an ideal sleep environment – ​​keeping the bedroom dark, quiet and at a cool temperature – also helps.”

Regular exercise and exposure to natural sunlight can also improve sleep quality.

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Cavaillès also suggests avoiding screens and blue light, as well as stimulants like caffeine and alcohol.

“Incorporating relaxation techniques before bed, such as deep breathing or meditation, can also help prepare the body for sleep,” the researcher added.

Healthy sleep is essential for a healthy brain, experts agree. “If a person is experiencing persistent problems with sleep quality or symptoms of insomnia, they should undergo further evaluation,” a doctor advised. (iStock)

Cheng reiterated that healthy sleep is essential for a healthy brain, hence the importance of maintaining good sleep habits.

“If a person is experiencing persistent issues with sleep quality or symptoms of insomnia, they should undergo further evaluation,” she said.

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“This may indicate an underlying disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnea, and intervention may improve both quality of life and general health“.

The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging.