Poor sleep could be bad for your brain 

Poor sleep could have an impact on brain health, according to a new study from The Australian National University (ANU).  

The research, a review of over 100 existing studies, found that sleep characteristics like poor quality or lack of sleep, as well as sleep disorders, were linked to lower brain volume. The evidence suggests that inadequate sleep could contribute to neurodegeneration.  

Lead author of the study, PhD candidate Dr Tergel Namsrai said while there’s a clear overlap, the connection between our sleep and the health of our brains is poorly understood and needs to be looked at more closely.

“We now have stronger evidence that sleep could be a really important factor when it comes to brain health,” she said. 

“We found, for example, people living with REM sleep behaviour disorders had lower grey matter volume in an area of the frontal lobe called the right frontal gyrus. This region is one of the first parts of the brain where we see evidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”  

Dr Namsrai set out to better understand the link between sleep and brain health. 

“Sleep itself can be hard to study,” she said. 

“There are a number of ways it can be measured. For example, you can look at sleep duration, sleep quality, waking up or sleep disturbances. We tried to look at it all as comprehensively as possible.”  

Dr Namsrai said the results highlight the importance of monitoring and managing sleep health.  

“It underscores the need to assess sleep during routine medical check-ups, and trying to catch complaints early on, before they progress to major sleep disorders. Early intervention is critical,” she said. 

“It’s important any future research also includes diverse populations, covering different age ranges, professions and ethnic origins, while also accounting for things like shift work that are linked to poor sleep. 

“This will allow for more targeted and personalised intervention.”  The study has been published in the journal Sleep Medicine.