Scientists from France, Great Britain and Finland have shown that regular sleep deprivation in middle age is deadly. So, lack of sleep increases the risk of developing dementia at an older age, according to the journal Nature Communications.
A team led by Professor Severin Sabia of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research analyzed data from the second Whitehall cohort study, conducted in 1985-1988 in the UK.
Then the researchers found the average sleep duration of more than ten thousand participants in the experiment. Now scientists have traced the relationship between the duration of rest and the risk of developing dementia in three age groups: 50-, 60- and 70-year-olds. In total, experts analyzed the data of 7959 people who were followed for at least 25 years. Among them, 521 patients are diagnosed with dementia.
The study found that in all three age groups, the risk of developing dementia increased by 30% in those who sleep six or fewer hours a night. Scientists have determined the amount of sleep needed to be seven hours a day or more.
Previously, the doctor listed the habits that provoke insomnia. According to the specialist, a person needs to go to bed at the same time, regardless of the day of the week.
