Sleep is an indispensable repair process for the human body, it helps to restore energy and relieve fatigue. Sleep duration and sleep quality are often the two most important aspects for everyone.
However, many middle-aged people may not be able to sleep soundly overnight. So, what is the impact of sleep quality in middle age on cognitive ability in later life?
Thirty or forty years old always wake up at night,
The risk of developing cognitive problems after 10 years is 2 times higher
A study published Jan. 3 in the journal Neurology found that people in their 30s and 40s who wake up at night are more than twice as likely to develop cognitive problems after 10 years.
Screenshot of the study
The study analysed 526 participants, with a mean age of 40 years at baseline, who measured their sleep duration and quality by wearing wrist activity monitors. Overall, participants had an average sleep duration of 6 hours and a mean sleep fragmentation rate of 19% over an 11-year follow-up period. According to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, 239 (45.6%) participants had poor sleep quality and scored more than 5 points.
After 11 years, the researchers tested the participants' cognitive abilities, including processing speed, executive function, memory, and fluency. According to the Sleep Debris Index:
Of the 175 people with the most severe sleep disruptions, 44 had poor cognitive performance;
Of the 176 people with the least sleep disruption, 10 had poor cognitive performance.
The analysis found that those with the most severe sleep disruptions were more than twice as likely to have poor cognitive performance compared to those with the mildest sleep disruptions. ①②
It can be seen that sleeping at night and waking up all the time may accelerate cognitive decline in the future.
After the age of 40, you should pay special attention to your sleep!
Sleep quality is even more important around the age of 40. Because some studies have found that we sleep the least at the age of 40. In general, the quality of sleep begins to decrease significantly by the age of 40.
A 2022 study published in Scientific Reports found that 40-year-olds slept the least, but sleep efficiently was about the same as 30-year-olds.
Screenshot of the study
The study measured sleep in more than 10,000 Americans aged 6 and older. Participants wore the accelerometer recorder 24 hours a day for 7 days in order to calculate their effective sleep parameters.
After analyzing the measured data, it was found that the relationship between sleep time and age showed a U-shaped curve.
In the process of 10~40 years old, the length of sleep time is decreasing;
There will be a slight rebound around the age of 50,
After the age of 60, the duration of sleep increases.
In addition, although sleep efficiency shows an overall downward trend throughout lifespan, it is relatively stable at the age of 30~60. In other words, although the age of 40 sleeps the least, the sleep efficiency is basically the same as that of the age of 30. ③④
Screenshot of the study
In addition, Chen Yuyuan and Zheng Liming, psychological sleep specialists of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, introduced in an article in the health newspaper in 2022 that under normal circumstances, the quality of sleep begins to decrease significantly at the age of 40, and as they get older, they wake up more and more times at night, and their sleep gradually becomes fragmented.
Sleep efficiency refers to the percentage of time spent actually asleep out of the total time spent in bed. Sleep efficiency is higher than 90%, which is one of the standards for high-quality sleep. With the increase of the number of awakenings during sleep, the sleep efficiency of middle-aged and elderly people will decrease, which will lead to poor physical health and cognitive decline. ⑤
8 ways to get you awake until dawn
1. Develop a regular routine
Xu Yixiao, a psychiatrist at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, published an article on the hospital's WeChat public account in 2023 to remind him to go to bed on time and get out of bed on time. Try to ensure a stable "biological clock", even if you don't need to wake up too early on your days off, try to go to bed at the same time as usual at night. It is best not to take a nap or nap for more than 20~30 minutes every day, so as not to affect the sleep duration at night. ⑥
Health Times Chart
2. Pay attention to your sleeping environment
Keeping the sleeping environment quiet, tidy and comfortable, as well as the right light and temperature, the right pillow height, the reasonable thickness of the quilt, and turning off the lights before going to bed can all ensure the quality of sleep to a certain extent.
3. Don't do these things before bed
Avoid coffee or smoking before going to bed, avoid alcohol before going to bed, as alcohol intake may cause fragmented sleep, avoid strenuous physical activity before going to bed, avoid consuming too much fluid or food before bedtime, and don't eat too much at dinner. ⑦
4. Exercise regularly and moderately
Moderate exercise can fatigue muscles and inhibit the secretion of stimulants by the brain, promoting sleep under fatigue, thus forming a virtuous cycle of sleep and improving sleep quality (6). For example, you can complete a total of about 30 minutes of light exercise every day.
5. Get out in the sun
In the afternoon, you can sunbathe on the balcony or in the park, or engage in gentle outdoor activities.
6. Enrich your daytime life
For retired seniors, participating in more social activities and cultivating some hobbies is to make life more fulfilling and colorful. You can live a full day and sleep more soundly at night. ⑤
7. Manage your illness well
For example, diseases such as colds, rhinitis, sleep apnea, and prostatic hyperplasia can affect sleep, as well as physical pain caused by some diseases. Manage your illness well, take your medications as prescribed, and improve your lifestyle.
8. Do levator ani exercises
In terms of improving sleep quality, Zheng Liming, deputy director of the Psychological Sleep Department of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, suggested in a health newspaper article in 2022 that anal exercises can be done. Levator ani exercises enhance the ability of the bladder sphincter to contract.
How to do it: The first step is to stand upright, feet shoulder-width apart, and hands on the waist. In the second step, take slow, deep breaths, contract your anus as you inhale, and hold your breath (hold your breath as hard as you can). The third step is to slowly relax the anus as you exhale and rest for 5~10 seconds.
Source: Health Times
Editor: Zhuhai Market Supervision Team
Statement: The copyright belongs to the original author, if there is any infringement, please contact the background, we will deal with it within 24 hours