If you are a man aged over 65 and your sleep is being disrupted, it is a worrying sign.
“Less deep sleep and more light sleep is related to slower responses in cognitive function,” said researcher Jesse Parker, of the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University, SA.
“While obstructive sleep apnoea itself is not related to cognitive function in older and younger men, we note that people aged 65 and older more frequently have disrupted sleep.”
Harvard University published a study in February that found individuals aged 65 and over who slept fewer than five hours per night were twice as likely to develop dementia, and twice as likely to die, compared to those who slept six to eight hours per night.
The Flinders University research advises men aged 65 and older to seek medical advice if their sleep becomes disrupted with the study’s lead author, Associate Professor Andrew Vakulin, stating day-to-day activities such as driving and motivation for important physical activities can be affected by the encroachment of poor sleep.
It’s straightforward. If something feels wrong and less than five hours of sleep certainly does, go and see your doctor and get a referral to a sleep expert.
