Research: Quality Sleep Can Prevent Cognitive Decline

A study at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute (CPMCRI) in San Francisco of older men found a link between poor sleep quality and the development of cognitive decline over three to four years.

Results of the study, published in the journal Sleep, show that higher levels of fragmented sleep and lower sleep efficiency were associated with a 40 to 50 percent increase in the odds of cognitive decline, similar to a five-year increase in age.

“It was the quality of sleep that predicted future cognitive decline in this study, not the quantity,” said lead author Terri Blackwell, MA, senior statistician at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute (CPMCRI) in San Francisco, Calif.

Following, from the National Institute on Aging, are tips for a safe and good night’s sleep:

• ·         Try to set up a safe and restful place to sleep.
• ·         Keep a telephone with emergency phone numbers by your bed.
• ·         Have a good lamp within reach that turns on easily.
• ·         Put a glass of water next to the bed in case you wake up thirsty.
• ·         Use nightlights in the bathroom and hall.
• ·         Don’t smoke, especially in bed.
• ·         Remove area rugs so you won’t trip if you get out of bed in the middle of the night.
• ·         Don’t fall asleep with a heating pad on; it may burn.

For additional details about the study, visit http://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=29394