1 Reason Why Your Brain Is SHRINKING?

 

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES


As you get older, things may start to gradually decline.

For many men, they may see signs of low testosterone...

And for many women, they may experience the not-so-subtle signs of menopause.

There is one common issue that connects both men and women as they get older.

That is the fear of losing their memory!

But, losing your healthy brain may not be entirely dependent on the aging process…

Aging, Sleep, and Brain Health

Have you ever walked into a room and forgot why you went in there?

Perhaps you may have misplaced your keys, and for the life of you, can’t remember where you put them?

Maybe you just can’t place that familiar face.

Each and every one of these issues may be directly related to how the aging process destroys your brain health.

But, there could be something besides aging that is destroying your brain.

And that is: Lack of sleep!

It’s not uncommon for older adults to suffer from insomnia…

Or they simply don’t get enough good quality sleep due to side effects from medications, comfort level, or a number of other reasons.

And this could directly impact the size of their brain as well as their cognitive abilities.

You see, a new study just published, shows that lack of sleep may directly impact the health of your brain.

The study assessed the sleep patterns and brain structure and function in healthy adults, 55 and over at the beginning of the study.

Sleep was assessed through a self-reported questionnaire and they underwent MRI brain scans to assess the volume of the brain and other assessments related to cognitive abilities – every two years during the course of the study.

Here’s what they found:

Those adults who slept less, showed a faster rate of ventricle enlargement (.59 percent) and a decline in their cognitive function (.67 percent) when compared to those who got adequate amounts of sleep (>7 hours per night).

They concluded: “In healthy older adults, short sleep duration is associated with greater age-related brain atrophy and cognitive decline. These associations are not associated with elevated inflammatory responses among short sleepers.”

Take Home Message

Although aging is one reason for a loss in brain function, it may not be the only thing that causes poor cognitive performance or lapses in memory.

In fact, according to a new study, the lack of adequate sleep may lead to shrinking of brain volume (atrophy) and a decline in cognitive function.

In order prevent sleep-related loss in brain function, countless studies shows that SEVEN hours (or more) of sleep per night could lead to better performance on cognitive testing.

Plus, it may prevent sleep-related loss in brain volume.

In order to protect your brain as you get older, be sure you get the recommended SEVEN hours of sleep per night.

Your brain will thank you for it!



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References:

Lo JC, Loh KK, Zheng H, Sim SK, Chee MW. Sleep duration and age-related changes in brain structure and cognitive performance. SLEEP 2014;37(7):1171-1178.