Health

Irregular sleep could be linked to higher risk of dementia

By Mallika Marshall, MD

December 13, 2023 / 5:34 PM EST / CBS Boston

BOSTON - Erratic sleep behaviors could be linked to a higher risk of dementia, according to new research.

A new study out of Australia followed more than 88,000 people in the U.K. and found that those with the most irregular sleep patterns were 53% more likely to develop dementia compared to people with more regular sleep patterns.

Regular sleep is how consistent you are about going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day, not the number of hours you sleep a night. The researchers said sleep education and behavior therapies can improve irregular sleep patterns.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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