<p>Sleep problems are associated with worse memory and executive functions in older people, says a study.<br /><br /></p>.<p>There is an association between both quality and duration of sleep and brain function which changes with age, the findings showed.<br /><br />In adults aged between 50 and 64 years of age, short sleep (less than 6 hours per night) and long sleep (more than 8 hours per night) were associated with lower brain function scores.<br />By contrast, in older adults (65-89 years), lower brain function scores were only observed in long sleepers.<br /><br />"6-8 hours of sleep per night is particularly important for optimum brain function in younger adults," said Michelle Miller from the University of Warwick in Britain.<br /><br />"These results are consistent with our previous research which showed that 6-8 hours of sleep per night was optimal for physical health, including lowest risk of developing obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and stroke," she added.<br /><br />The study involved analysis of sleep and cognitive (brain function) data from 3,968 men and 4,821 women who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).<br />The study appeared in the journal PLOS ONE.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Sleep problems are associated with worse memory and executive functions in older people, says a study.<br /><br /></p>.<p>There is an association between both quality and duration of sleep and brain function which changes with age, the findings showed.<br /><br />In adults aged between 50 and 64 years of age, short sleep (less than 6 hours per night) and long sleep (more than 8 hours per night) were associated with lower brain function scores.<br />By contrast, in older adults (65-89 years), lower brain function scores were only observed in long sleepers.<br /><br />"6-8 hours of sleep per night is particularly important for optimum brain function in younger adults," said Michelle Miller from the University of Warwick in Britain.<br /><br />"These results are consistent with our previous research which showed that 6-8 hours of sleep per night was optimal for physical health, including lowest risk of developing obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and stroke," she added.<br /><br />The study involved analysis of sleep and cognitive (brain function) data from 3,968 men and 4,821 women who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).<br />The study appeared in the journal PLOS ONE.<br /><br /></p>