Faster rates of decline in brain volume might be connected to difficulties in sleeping

A new study recently published in the journal, Neurology, studied 147 adults between 20 years old and 84 years of age to further examine the link between brain volume and sleep difficulties, or experiencing problems staying asleep or falling asleep in the evening.

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All the participants went through two magnetic resonance imaging brain scans three and a half years apart before answering a questionnaire regarding their sleeping habits.

The results revealed that 35 percent of the respondents met the indicators for poor quality of sleep. These respondents had a standard score of 8.5 over 21 points on given assessment.

The same assessment also examined the sleep duration of respondents, the length of time it took them to fall sleep at night and sleeping pills used among many other factors.

True enough, the results further confirm that sleep difficulties were linked to faster brain volume along the extensive regions of the brain that include the parietal, temporal and frontal areas.

The study confirms the findings were, in fact, more prominent and prevalent in people beyond 60 years of age.

It isn't yet known completely if poor quality of sleep is indeed a manifestation of brain structural changes, said Claire Sexton, co-author of the study from the University of Oxford, U.K.

The study also said poor sleep quality could be a cause or even a consequence of brain atrophy. Hopefully, future studies that will examine the effect of interventions to improve sleep quality may hold some key insights.

Sleep problems have effective treatments and solutions but Sexton believes future research has to further examine whether or not improving the quality of sleep could slow down the rate of brain volume decline.

Improving people's sleep habits is pivotal in improving brain health, she said.

The study also said sleep is the brain's "housekeeper" that restores, refreshes and repairs the present condition of the brain.

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