Overview

• Disrupted sleep in your 30s and 40s can lead to cognitive problems in later life, according to a new study.
• The study tracked the sleep quality of hundreds of people in their 30s and 40s and analyzed their cognitive ability more than a decade later.
• Those with the most disrupted sleep were more than twice as likely to score worse than average on cognitive tests compared to those with the least disrupted sleep.
• Sleep plays a role in clearing Alzheimer's-linked proteins from the brain, and poor sleep contributes to inflammation and metabolic dysfunction, which are also linked to cognitive decline or dementia.
• Researchers are investigating whether treating sleep problems can effectively slow down cognitive decline.