New findings on the best number of hours of sleep for older adults

While health experts recommend that older adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night, research conducted by scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center (USA) found that sleeping nine hours or more each night can be harmful to brain health, according to the scientific journal Neuroscience.

Sleeping 9 or more hours a night may be harmful to brain health

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The study followed 1,853 healthy participants, with an average age of 49.8, to examine the effects of sleep duration on cognitive ability, followed for 20 years.

Participants had their cognitive function assessed and responded to surveys about how many hours they usually slept each night every four years.

The results found that sleeping an average of nine hours a night can age the brain by up to 6.5 years, leading to memory problems in old age.

Specifically, on average, people who slept nine hours or more per night over the 20-year study period performed significantly worse on all cognitive tests, according to Neuroscience.

Notably, the poorest results were in people with depressive symptoms who slept nine or more hours per night.

Experts say depression may be a cause of cognitive decline.

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Mood disorders also often cause excessive sleep, and experts believe that depression may be a cause of cognitive impairment in these patients.

It's also possible that brain damage from early dementia may promote the need for too much sleep, scientists say.

The results are consistent with previous research. A 10-year study, published in the journal Psychiatry Research , found that sleeping more than eight hours a night on average increased the risk of dementia in older adults by an alarming 64%.

How many hours of sleep should older adults get each night?

The Global Brain Health Council recommends that adults get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night to protect brain health.

The study, published in the prestigious scientific journal The Lancet in 2024, found that up to 45% of Alzheimer's cases could be prevented by addressing 14 factors, including hearing loss, high cholesterol, low social interaction, depression, vision loss and low exercise, according to the Daily Mail.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phat-hien-moi-ve-so-gio-ngu-tot-nhat-cho-nguoi-lon-tuoi-185250518232931113.htm