Man in deep sleep
By Beth JoJack
Evidence from existing research suggests that physical activities are beneficial to brain health and may protect against the development of neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease. However, a new study found that sleep deprivation can reduce such benefits reaped from exercise.
The study found people who slept between 6 and 8 hours per night and engaged in higher levels of physical activity were linked with better cognitive function.
People who slept fewer than 6 hours a night, even if they engaged in higher levels of physical activity, experienced more rapid cognitive decline over ten years.
Researchers looked at cognitive function over 10 years in 8,958 people aged 50 and older in England.
Among participants aged 70 and older, the benefits of higher levels of physical activity on cognitive function appeared to be maintained despite the number of hours slept.
Almost 10% of adults age 65 and older in the United States have dementia, and another 22% have mild cognitive impairment, according to a 2022 nationally representative study of cognitive impairment prevalence.
Numerous studies have found exercise may reduce the risk of developing dementia. Still, more studies link a lack of sleep with increased dementia risk.
“Physical activity and sleep are factors that are thought to independently contribute to cognitive function, but they are also interrelated, where more physical activity is correlated with better quality sleep and physical activity may also regulate circadian rhythms,” Mikaela Bloomberg, Ph.D., a research fellow at the University College London Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, explained to Medical News Today.
Source: MNT
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