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The timing of your sleep patterns could be linked to increased dementia risk, according to a new study.
Each person’s circadian rhythm, often defined as the body’s internal 24-hour clock, keeps the body operating on a healthy pattern of sleeping and waking. It also affects other systems in your body, according to Cleveland Clinic.
While most people’s circadian rhythms are automatically regulated, things like light levels can throw them off balance.
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People with strong circadian rhythms are usually able to stick to regular times for sleeping and activity, even with schedule or season changes, experts say.
With a weaker circadian rhythm, light and schedule changes are more likely to disrupt the body clock, leading to shifts in sleep and activity patterns.
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 participants’ average age was 79, and none had dementia at the time of the study. They were divided into three groups based on the strength of their circadian rhythms.
In the group with the strongest rhythms, 31 of 728 people developed dementia, compared to 106 of 727 people in the group with the weakest rhythms.
After adjusting for factors such as age, blood pressure and heart disease, researchers found that people in the weakest rhythm group had nearly 2.5 times the risk of dementia.
The researchers identified a possible “U-shaped” association between the stability of the sleep-wake cycle and dementia, noting that people with consistently low activity levels may have less stable circadian rhythms.
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People whose activity peaked at 2:15 p.m. or later had a 45% higher risk of dementia compared to those whose activity peaked earlier in the day. About 7% of people in the earlier peak group developed dementia, compared to 10% in the later peak group.
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The study did have some limitations. Data on sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea or sleep-disordered breathing, were not available. Wang noted that more research is needed to understand the possible link.
The researcher also recommended that people maintain a strong circadian rhythm that is “well-aligned” with the 24-hour day.
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“People with strong circadian rhythms often follow regular sleep and activity times,” she said.
“However, it’s important to note that our research does not prove that irregular circadian rhythms cause dementia, only that an association was observed.”
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