If you’re trying to convince your partner to do something about their snoring – congratulations; you’ve got a new argument! It’s not just annoying – it can actually be bad for you, unless treated.
According to research from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, memory loss has been directly linked to sleep disorders such as sleep apnea (episodes of airway obstruction), which is often accompanied by snoring. The condition, a type of sleep disordered breathing (SDB), has actually been shown to accelerate cognitive decline by about ten years.
In the study, researchers analyzed the age at which elderly patients developed either mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease dementia. The group was also divided into three groups; patients whose sleeping disorder was treated, those who weren't treated, and patients who didn't have a sleep disorder.
According to results, patients who had sleep apnea lost their memory sooner than those without the condition. These patients began experiencing cognitive decline at an average age of 77 as compared to 90 for those without breathing problems.
Lead scientist Richard Osorio suggests that if sleep issues do lead to cognitive decline, it could be due to lack of oxygen or lack of sleep. As previous studies have shown, too little sleep can be bad for you.
It’s not all bad news, however! It has been found that using a breathing machine like CPAP can help to delay progression of memory loss.
Richard Osorio adds that sleep disorders are underdiagnosed saying, “There's a lack of awareness about it both in the medical community and among patients."
So if snoring is keeping you or your partner up at night, it might be time to pay a visit to the clinic. While not leading to mental decline itself, loud and frequent snoring can be indicative of a sleep disorder. Detection and treatment can almost completely erase any adverse effects on mental decline.
This post was previously published at WDish.com
RELATED: Read This - And Then GO TO BED.
Printer-friendly version