Seniors who either have trouble falling asleep for more than thirty minutes or who sleep more than eight hours a day are at greater risk of having their cognitive abilities deteriorate. (Image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, April 4 (Korea Bizwire) — Seniors who either have trouble falling asleep for more than thirty minutes or who sleep more than eight hours a day are at greater risk of having their cognitive abilities deteriorate.
More specifically, seniors who drift off to sleep after the thirty-minute mark are at 40 percent greater risk than those who begin sleeping within a half-hour. The risk associated with sleeping more than eight hours was 70 percent higher compared to seniors who slept less than the eight-hour cutoff.
Those who continued such sleeping habits (falling asleep after thirty minutes, sleeping over eight hours) over a four-year period, and those who gradually took longer to fall asleep saw their risk of cognitive deterioration double.
Sleeping less than eight hours combined with going to bed late and rising late, on the other hand, reduced the risk by as much as 40 percent. Going to bed late and rising late meant 3 a.m. was the midpoint of their slumber; for example, a senior that goes to bed late and sleeps seven hours would retire at 11:30 p.m. and wake up at 6:30 a.m.
Rather than the sleeping patterns having a direct impact on psychological health, it has been interpreted that the patterns themselves are outwardly manifesting indicators of declining cognitive function. (Image: Yonhap)
Elderly individuals with dementia that needed more than thirty minutes to fall asleep were 30 percent less likely to recover their normal cognitive function four years later.
Unfortunately, changing one’s sleeping patterns had no effect on the risk of cognitive deterioration. Rather than the sleeping patterns having a direct impact on psychological health, it has been interpreted that the patterns themselves are outwardly manifesting indicators of declining cognitive function.
Based on research conducted at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, a report on these findings was published in the journal Annals of Neurology. A total of 2,893 individuals aged 60 and above were the subjects in the research project.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
