NEW YORK: A study conducted by researchers at Yale University has found that sleeping too much may pose significant risks to brain health, including an increased likelihood of developing dementia or suffering a stroke.
Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study examined the sleep patterns of nearly 40,000 middle-aged persons using data from the UK Biobank, a comprehensive repository of health and lifestyle information.
Contrary to popular belief, the study found that both insufficient and excessive sleep can have detrimental effects on brain health. Participants who deviated from the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night exhibited elevated levels of biomarkers associated with white matter hypersensitivities, lesions in the brain linked to cognitive impairment and stroke risk.
Impact of Excessive Sleep on Brain Health
Lead author of the study, Santiago Clocchiatti-Touzzo, M.D., emphasized the urgency of understanding and addressing these underlying processes to prevent adverse health outcomes. He stressed that conditions like dementia and stroke are not sudden occurrences but rather the culmination of a prolonged deterioration process.
The research revealed that people who slept excessively had comparable levels of white matter hypersensitivities to those with optimal sleep durations. However, these lesions were denser and exhibited greater damage, suggesting a more pronounced risk of cognitive decline and stroke.
The findings underscore the critical role of sleep in maintaining brain health and highlight the importance of adopting healthy sleep habits early on. Dr. Clocchiatti-Touzzo emphasized that sleep duration is a modifiable risk factor, urging people to prioritize adequate sleep to safeguard their long-term cognitive function.
Researchers urge middle-aged people to take proactive steps to optimize their sleep patterns and mitigate the risk of developing debilitating brain conditions later in life.
