Lack of sound sleep at night and the inability to have dreams may point to a higher risk of developing dementia, a study has warned.
It is common for people with dementia to experience sleep disturbance. However, it is unclear if sleep disturbance occurs as a consequence of dementia or if disturbed sleep is associated with the risk of dementia in the future.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) in the US studied 321 participants over the age of 60 who underwent an overnight sleep study between 1995 and 1998.
They were then followed for an average of 12 years to determine their risk of developing dementia.
Upon follow-up, the researchers found that each percentage reduction in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep was associated with a nine per cent increase in the risk of all- cause dementia and an eight per cent increase in the risk of Alzheimer's disease dementia.
"Different stages of sleep may differentially affect key features of Alzheimer's disease. Our findings implicate REM sleep mechanisms as predictors of dementia," said Matthew Pase from BUSM.
Earlier studies have found that people who consistently sleep more than nine hours each night had double the risk of developing dementia in 10 years as compared to participants who slept for nine hours or less.
According to the researchers future research is needed to determine whether REM sleep helps protect the brain from dementia or is sensitive to early brain changes that accompany dementia.
The research was published in the journal Neurology.
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