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

New research has just been published and has found that sleeping too much can also be harmful to health, especially for the elderly.

While health experts recommend that older adults sleep at least seven hours a night, research conducted by scientists at the Center for Health Sciences, University of Texas (USA) has found that sleeping nine hours or more a night may be detrimental to brain health, according to the scientific journal Neuroscience.

Sleeping nine hours or more each night can be harmful to brain health.

Photo: AI

The study followed 1,853 healthy participants, with an average age of 49.8, to investigate the effect of sleep duration on cognitive ability, over a period of 20 years.

Participants were assessed for cognitive function and answered surveys about the number of hours they typically slept each night, every four years.

The results revealed that sleeping an average of 9 hours per night can accelerate brain aging by up to 6.5 years, leading to memory problems in old age.

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

Notably, the worst results were seen in those with symptoms of depression who slept nine or more hours each night.

Experts suggest that depression may be a contributing factor to cognitive decline.

Photo: AI

Mood disorders often cause excessive sleepiness, and experts suggest that depression may be a contributing factor to cognitive decline in these patients.

Scientists say that brain damage from early-onset dementia may also contribute to the need for excessive sleep.

This finding is consistent with previous studies. A 10-year study, published in the journal Psychiatry Research , found that sleeping an average of more than 8 hours per night 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 7-8 hours of sleep each night to protect their brain health.

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