A really interesting article from Women’s Health looks at the connection between sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness and possible early signs of cognitive decline.
Researchers followed 445 adults aged 65+ and looked at motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) — a condition characterised by slower walking together with self-reported problems with memory or thinking and considered a potential precursor to dementia.
One finding stood out: 35% of participants experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness developed MCR, compared with 6.7% of those without daytime sleepiness.
Importantly, they aren’t talking about simply feeling tired after a busy day.
The warning sign was excessive daytime sleepiness — things such as falling asleep during meals or social activities, along with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm for everyday activities.
Why might sleep matter to our brain?
Sleep isn’t simply downtime.
While we sleep, important restorative processes take place in the brain. The article discusses the glymphatic system, which helps clear waste products from the brain and is more active during sleep. Poor or disrupted sleep may interfere with these processes.
The bigger message is something HEAL talks about often:
Sleep is part of brain health.
And it isn’t only about getting a perfect eight hours. Regular sleep patterns, sleep quality and identifying problems such as sleep apnoea can all be important.
What can we do?
The article suggests some very achievable habits:
- Keep your bedtime and wake-up time reasonably consistent.
- Get regular physical activity.
- Spend at least 30 minutes in natural daylight each day.
- Reduce caffeine and nicotine, particularly later in the day.
- Avoid large meals and alcohol close to bedtime.
- Reduce screens before bed.
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
- If persistent sleep problems or unusual daytime sleepiness develop, speak with your doctor.
The HEAL Takeaway
Don’t underestimate sleep.
We often think about exercise, diet and keeping our brains active when we talk about reducing dementia risk, but good sleep deserves a place in that conversation too.
And sometimes the important question isn’t simply:
“Am I getting eight hours?”
It might be:
“Has the way I sleep — or how sleepy I am during the day — changed?”
Persistent excessive daytime sleepiness doesn’t mean you have dementia. But a noticeable change in sleep, energy, walking speed, memory or thinking is worth paying attention to and discussing with your doctor.
Small habits matter. Protecting our sleep is another way we can take care of our brain today while investing in our health for tomorrow.
Read the full Women’s Health article
A really interesting article from Women’s Health looks at the connection between sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness and possible early signs of cognitive decline.
Researchers followed 445 adults aged 65+ and looked at motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) — a condition characterised by slower walking together with self-reported problems with memory or thinking and considered a potential precursor to dementia.
One finding stood out: 35% of participants experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness developed MCR, compared with 6.7% of those without daytime sleepiness.
Importantly, they aren’t talking about simply feeling tired after a busy day.
The warning sign was excessive daytime sleepiness — things such as falling asleep during meals or social activities, along with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm for everyday activities.
Why might sleep matter to our brain?
Sleep isn’t simply downtime.
While we sleep, important restorative processes take place in the brain. The article discusses the glymphatic system, which helps clear waste products from the brain and is more active during sleep. Poor or disrupted sleep may interfere with these processes.
The bigger message is something HEAL talks about often:
Sleep is part of brain health.
And it isn’t only about getting a perfect eight hours. Regular sleep patterns, sleep quality and identifying problems such as sleep apnoea can all be important.
What can we do?
The article suggests some very achievable habits:
- Keep your bedtime and wake-up time reasonably consistent.
- Get regular physical activity.
- Spend at least 30 minutes in natural daylight each day.
- Reduce caffeine and nicotine, particularly later in the day.
- Avoid large meals and alcohol close to bedtime.
- Reduce screens before bed.
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
- If persistent sleep problems or unusual daytime sleepiness develop, speak with your doctor.
The HEAL Takeaway
Don’t underestimate sleep.
We often think about exercise, diet and keeping our brains active when we talk about reducing dementia risk, but good sleep deserves a place in that conversation too.
And sometimes the important question isn’t simply:
“Am I getting eight hours?”
It might be:
“Has the way I sleep — or how sleepy I am during the day — changed?”
Persistent excessive daytime sleepiness doesn’t mean you have dementia. But a noticeable change in sleep, energy, walking speed, memory or thinking is worth paying attention to and discussing with your doctor.
Small habits matter. Protecting our sleep is another way we can take care of our brain today while investing in our health for tomorrow.
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