Poor Sleep Quality Can Lead To Dementia And Early Death

Sleep plays a very important role for our brain health and biological repair. Unfortunately, the quality of our sleep tends to decline as we get older which can accelerate the aging process.

A new study has found that adults who have significant difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep at night have a higher risk of developing dementia and a reduced life expectancy. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia and restless leg syndrome are increasingly common - more than half of Australian adults are suffering from at least one sleep disorder.

The study found that those who had trouble falling asleep most nights had a 44% increased risk of an early death from any cause, and those who often woke up and struggled to fall back asleep had a 56% increased risk of early death from any cause.

Furthermore, a 2017 study found that middle-aged adults who slept badly for one night produced beta amyloid plaques - a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease - which can accumulate in the brain, eventually killing the cells.

Disrupted sleep not only increases your risk of early death and dementia, it also puts you at higher risk of diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease. If you are struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or are consistently waking up exhausted, speak to your family doctor or a sleep specialist about your sleep today.

The CPAP Clinic has a network of 40 clinics nationwide, and works in partnership with Centurion Healthcare, a Respiratory & Sleep Specialist clinic group to provide comprehensive sleep care including:

1. Respiratory & Sleep Specialist consultation – face-to-face and telehealth available
2. Sleep studies – in-lab, home and contactless sleep studies available.

Bulk billing available for specialist telehealth consultations as well as sleep studies. Medicare criteria apply. Call 1300 76 29 39 or email info@thecpapclinic.com.au for more information.