A recent study suggests that the timing of your sleep patterns may be linked to an increased risk of dementia.
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Circadian rhythms, which regulate the body’s internal clock, play a crucial role in maintaining healthy sleep patterns and overall body function.
Disruptions to these rhythms, caused by factors like light levels, can lead to shifts in sleep and activity patterns.
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The new study, published in the journal Neurology, sought to explore whether these disruptions play a role in dementia risk among older adults.
Researchers from the Academy of Neurology monitored more than 2,000 people for an average of 12 days to track their rest and rhythm activities.
“A novel aspect of our study is that we derived circadian rhythms from a chest-worn ECG patch that is commonly used clinically,” lead study author Wendy Wang, Ph.D., of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, told Fox News Digital.
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The study found that individuals with weaker circadian rhythms had a higher risk of developing dementia compared to those with stronger rhythms.
Maintaining a strong circadian rhythm aligned with the 24-hour day may help reduce the risk of dementia, although further research is needed to fully understand the connection.
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