Poor Sleep Quality Linked to Cognitive Decline in Older Men

Researchers have linked poor quality sleep with cognitive decline in older men.

A report from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine reveals that high levels of fragmented sleep and lower sleep efficiency - but not sleep duration - in older men is associated with a 40-50 percent increase in cognitive decline in executive function. Executive function, according to the study authors, is the ability to plan and make decisions, the ability to troubleshoot and correct errors, as well as abstract thinking.

This cognitive decline is equivalent to the effects of a 5-year increase in age, the researchers said.

"It was the quality of sleep that predicted future cognitive decline in this study, not the quantity," according to Terri Blackwell, a statistician at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute.

"With the rate of cognitive impairment increasing and the high prevalence of sleep problems in the elderly, it is important to determine prospective associations with sleep and cognitive decline," said Blackwell, who is the lead author of the study published in the journal SLEEP detailing the research.

The mean age of the men involved in the researcher was 76, all of whom were tested in the US across six study centers. A total of 2,822 subjects were included in the study, each of whom gave an average of five nights of sleep to the study.

"As one of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle, sleep is essential for optimal cognitive functioning," said Dr. M. Safwan Badr, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

"This study provides an important reminder that healthy sleep involves both the quantity and quality of sleep," Badr said.