Optimal Sleep Linked to Lower Risks for Dementia and Early Death

A study of Japanese adults aged 60 years and older published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found short and long daily sleep duration were risk factors for developing dementia and early death, reports ScienceDaily . Among 1,517 adults who were tracked for two decades, 294 developed dementia and 282 died. Age- and gender-adjusted incidence rates of dementia and all-cause mortality were higher in those with daily sleep duration of less than five hours and 10 hours or more, compared with those with daily sleep duration of five to 6.9 hours. However, participants with short sleep duration who were very physically active did not have a greater risk of dementia and death. "Given the beneficial effects of physical activity on risk of sleep disturbance, these findings indicate that not only maintenance of appropriate sleep duration, but also modification of lifestyle behaviors related to sleep may be an effective strategy for preventing dementia and premature death in older adults," the authors concluded.