A new Canadian study has found that elderly individuals suffering from insomnia are at a greater risk of memory deterioration and long-term cognitive decline, such as dementia. The study, published in the journal "Sleep", was based on data from over 26,000 participants in a nationwide aging study, ranging in age from 45 to 85 years.
Professor Nathan Cross, a co-researcher in the study, stated: "We found that insomnia is associated with worse memory performance compared to those who only experience some insomnia symptoms or those who have no sleep issues at all."
He added: "This memory deficit was specific, as we also looked at other areas of cognitive function such as attention and multitasking. We found differences only in memory." The research team included participants from the universities of Montreal and McGill, as well as the Performa Center. The study lasted three years, from 2019 to the current year.
The study found that men suffering from insomnia performed worse in memory tests than women, suggesting that older men are at a higher risk. Insomnia is a psychological disorder that is not limited to tossing and turning for a while before sleep; it requires the diagnosis of "the appearance of symptoms of difficulty sleeping or waking up early three nights a week for three months, along with reporting difficulties during the day due to it."
