{"id":83687,"date":"2025-06-25T11:55:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=83687"},"modified":"2025-10-16T14:52:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T20:52:22","slug":"sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/","title":{"rendered":"Disrupted sleep is a risk for dementia, but healthy sleep is within our reach, even as we age\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Researchers
Researchers studied older women who hadn’t yet experienced cognitive impairment to better understand the relationship between sleep and the risk of dementia. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If one were to compile a list of worries in the industrialized world, two would surely be near the top: that we don\u2019t get enough sleep, and that as we age we are on an inexorable path to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It turns out the two worries are related, but the relationship between sleep and cognitive health is a complicated one.<\/p>\n

Poor sleep is an enemy of mental sharpness, but a study recently published in the journal Neurology<\/em><\/a> makes the case that getting lots of sleep may not be a path to cognitive health. In fact, the opposite may be true.<\/p>\n

Simply put, the quality of sleep matters much more than the quantity, the researchers suggest.<\/p>\n

The study focused on older women who were at least 82 and hadn’t yet experienced cognitive impairment. Researchers recruited women for the sleep study who had been dealing with fractures caused by osteoporosis. The participants then wore small sensors called actigraphy devices<\/a> on their wrists to measure their movement and their periods of sleep and wakefulness. They had their cognition measured at the beginning of the study and then in follow-up tests.<\/p>\n

The study identified three \u201csleep-wake change profiles\u201d: stable sleep, declining nighttime sleep and increasing sleepiness. The women in the increasing sleepiness group were at twice the risk of dementia<\/a> than those in the stable sleep group. Significantly, those in the high-risk group had \u201clarge increases in daytime and nighttime sleep duration.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Amy Amara is a professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To understand the seemingly tangled relationship between sleep and cognitive decline, we spoke with Dr. Amy Amara<\/a>, professor in the\u00a0Department of Neurology<\/a>\u00a0at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Amara, who sees patients in the UCHealth Neurosciences Center \u2013 Anschutz Medical Campus<\/a>, was not involved in the Neurology <\/em>study, but she has done extensive research in the relationship between sleep and neurodegenerative disorders, especially Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

What piques your interest in the study of sleep and dementia in older women?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been interested in the relationship between sleep and cognitive dysfunction, or cognitive decline,\u201d Amara said. \u201cIn my own work, we found relationships between certain stages of sleep and Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The study published in Neurology<\/em> notes a ‘potential bidirectional relationship between sleep and cognition.’ What does that mean?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a \u201cchicken-and-egg\u201d relationship, Amara said. \u201cWe know that in neurodegenerative disease, brain changes happen long before we detect any clinical symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n

The question: Does that neurodegeneration trigger disruptions in sleep, or do disruptions in sleep trigger neurodegeneration?<\/p>\n

Which one happens first is a difficult question to answer, as the two may be intertwined, Amara said. As the study authors noted, \u201cgrowing evidence\u201d suggests that \u201csleep disruption may not only stem from but also contribute to neurodegeneration.\u201d<\/p>\n

The authors went on to write that \u201cconcurrent declines in sleep health and cognition may exacerbate one another, creating a vicious cycle and accelerating deterioration in both domains.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are some of the important brain changes caused by neurodegeneration that can disrupt sleep?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One example is changes in the brainstem, which is responsible for regulating arousal. That can lead to insomnia and fragmented sleep (alternating periods of sleep and wakefulness, rather than a solid stretch of uninterrupted, deep sleep), Amara said. Disrupted sleep patterns, like these, are common in people with Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s diseases, she said.<\/p>\n

Another important cause of sleep disruption is neurodegeneration of the suprachiasmatic nucleus<\/a>, a brain structure that, among other responsibilities, helps us know when to wake up and when to go to sleep.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is our central clock, which is responsible for the circadian rhythm<\/a>,\u201d Amara said. \u201cNeurodegeneration in that area can lead to abnormal sleep patterns.\u201d<\/p>\n

If neurodegeneration can lead to disrupted sleep, how can healthy sleep help to protect against cognitive decline?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Simply put, healthy sleep includes slow-wave<\/a> or deep sleep, Amara said.\u00a0She conducted her own studies in\u00a02020<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a02021<\/a>, investigating how exercise might help people with Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/a> to increase time sleeping deeply, and thus, sharpen their cognitive function.<\/span>\u00a0She leads another<\/a> study, currently underway, that further explores the therapeutic possibilities in this area.<\/p>\n

The idea is that slow-wave or deep sleep is tied to the work of the glymphatic system<\/a>, a part of the central nervous system responsible for removing from the brain waste materials that jam nerve cell communication and interfere with cognition, Amara said.<\/p>\n

The Neurology<\/em> study noted that napping might be a contributor to cognitive decline. Isn\u2019t it healthy to take naps?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cThere are plenty of patients I encourage to nap if they are sleepy because we want people to have adequate amounts of sleep,\u201d Amara said. \u201cBut there also certainly can be detrimental effects of napping, because if you nap a lot during the day, then you have less drive to sleep at night. It is important to limit naps to 20 to 30 minutes in length and to avoid napping late in the day (after about 2 p.m.).\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition, a sleep pattern fragmented by excessive napping can disrupt a person\u2019s circadian rhythm and lead to insomnia, Amara said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou then nap more during the day, and the pattern perpetuates itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

The recent study found that the women at greatest risk of dementia had increased sleep times both during the day and at night. In that case, more is likely not better, Amara noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may not be just that they have an abnormal pattern of sleep because they are sleeping during the day, but maybe there is something disrupting their sleep at night,\u201d Amara said. \u201cSo even though they are sleeping for many hours, they are not getting good, quality sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Were there questions that the Neurology <\/em>study left unanswered?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes. One area of uncertainty centers on the use of actigraphy to measure sleep times, Amara said. She noted that the devices simply measure movement. That\u2019s important, but the devices don\u2019t tell the whole story of what happens while a person tries to sleep.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t tell anything about the quality of the sleep,\u201d Amara said.<\/p>\n

The study researchers attempted to assess \u201csleep efficiency,\u201d which they defined as \u201ca measure of sleep quality calculated as the percentage of time in bed at night that was scored as sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

But as Amara noted, \u201cactigraphy can\u2019t tell you if that\u2019s light sleep or deep sleep,\u201d or even if a person is actually asleep or simply lying still.<\/p>\n

In addition, the study did not control for sleep apnea, which has been linked to cognitive decline<\/a>, Amara said. Sleep apnea interrupts breathing, which may cause intermittent periods of sleep and wakefulness, and less time spent in the crucial slow-wave phase, during which the glymphatic system clears the brain of waste, she explained. (Most people who have sleep apnea don’t know they have it. Learn how to detect sleep apnea and how to get help for it<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

That\u2019s obviously a problem, but fragmented sleep could have an upside, she added \u2013 if an individual takes the repeated interruptions as a clue to intervene.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe they need a sleep study because they have sleep apnea, or they might need to exercise because that\u2019s known to improve sleep and cognition,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the things that I think is exciting about this area. There are ways that we can improve sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Have other studies used actigraphy to try to measure the amount of sleep during a 24-hour period?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes. Amara cited a 2013 study published in JAMA Neurology<\/em><\/a> that investigated sleep patterns in nearly 700 people who did not have dementia, but carried two copies of a specific form of the APOE4 gene called APOE e4 homozygotes<\/a> \u2013 an important risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease.<\/p>\n

Researchers used actigraphy for 10 days at the outset of the study to measure the study participants’ \u201csleep consolidation,\u201d which they defined as \u201cthe extent to which sleep is uninterrupted by repeated awakenings.\u201d<\/p>\n

They then evaluated the study participants for Alzheimer\u2019s disease annually for a six-year period.<\/p>\n

The study, which included autopsies of participants who died, concluded that better sleep consolidation lessened the effects of the APOE e4 gene \u2013 as measured by the density of nerve cell tangles in the brain<\/a>, which are the calling cards of Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

The study was important for two reasons, Amara said. It showed that the participants who had fragmented sleep at the beginning of the research were more likely to have cognitive decline over time. But the study also showed that those with the APOE e4 gene who had good, consolidated sleep were \u201cprotected from that decline in cognition, even though they had that genetic risk factor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do the findings of that study relate to the Neurology <\/em>study, and if so, how?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes. Both emphasize the value of good sleep in protecting cognition. In the Neurology <\/em>study, the stable sleepers were at much less risk of developing dementia than those with increasing sleepiness. In the JAMA Neurology<\/em> study, those with the best consolidated sleep were at the least risk of developing nerve cell tangles and Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven the people who had that genetic risk could protect themselves if they were good sleepers,\u201d Amara said. \u201cNot everybody can make themselves good sleepers, but there are definitely things you can do to improve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before we get to that, what are the important risk factors for cognitive decline?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

They can\u2019t always be controlled. The biggest risk is aging, Amara said. Women tend to live longer than men and are therefore more likely to develop dementia. They account for about two-thirds<\/a> of people in the United States with Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Some people carry a genetic risk for Alzheimer\u2019s disease, but as the JAMA Neurology <\/em>study suggested, good sleep \u2013 among other factors \u2013 can mitigate that risk.<\/p>\n

Sleep apnea, as mentioned before, is also an important risk factor for cognitive decline. Others include smoking, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and stress.<\/p>\n

On the flip side, what are some of the proactive steps people can take to improve sleep and preserve mental acuity?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

People can manage each of the risk factors just outlined, sometimes with the help of medications, exercise, and diet. For stress, Amara said she encourages her patients to focus their thoughts and attention on \u201csupport structures,\u201d like family and physical activity, to healthily manage the pressure, avoid feeling overwhelmed and sleep better.<\/p>\n

\u201cCognitive behavioral therapy<\/a> is a great way to approach that,\u201d either by talking one-on-one with a therapist or taking advantage of online resources and apps, she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of us can have a stress-free life, but we have to figure out the best ways to respond to it,\u201d Amara said.<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, an active mind provides a bulwark against cognitive decline, she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think of mental activity as being important for cognition in general,\u201d Amara said. \u201cBut it also increases the drive to have deep sleep.\u201d As she discussed, it\u2019s during that stage of sleep that the glymphatic system \u201cprunes and cleans\u201d the connections between brain cells that are the key to clear cognition.<\/p>\n

\u201cExercise also increases deep sleep, so physical activity is important as well,\u201d Amara said.<\/p>\n

Amara emphasized that people don\u2019t tread a predetermined path to dementia. Age is a risk, but many people reach old age with their mental acuity intact. The Neurology <\/em>study \u201cdefinitely supports that if you can improve your sleep in your 80s, you might prevent yourself from developing dementia, even that late,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Likewise, people with a hereditary predisposition to cognitive decline may never suffer a precipitous mental slide.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you have genetic risk, you won\u2019t necessarily get dementia,\u201d Amara said.<\/p>\n

But she offered one cautionary note.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is also some pretty good evidence that how you behave in your middle-age years, and even younger, is also important,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s never too early to get started and try to reduce your risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, younger people who may have sleep apnea or who are dealing with insomnia should try to resolve their sleep challenges in hopes of avoiding cognitive problems later in life. (Get practical advice about how to sleep better.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If one were to compile a list of worries in the industrialized world, two would surely be near the top: that we don\u2019t get enough sleep, and that as we age we are on an inexorable path to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer\u2019s disease. It turns out the two worries are related, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2143,"featured_media":86343,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9252,185,184,750,9171,212],"class_list":["post-83687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-adult-65-plus","tag-alzheimers-care","tag-neurology","tag-parkinsons-disease","tag-senior-care","tag-womens-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSleep and dementia risk: Why more isn't always better - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"New research explores how sleep patterns, like getting too much sleep, may increase dementia risk, highlighting quality over quantity.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Disrupted sleep is a risk for dementia, but healthy sleep is within our reach, even as we age\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"New research explores how sleep patterns, like getting too much sleep, may increase dementia risk, highlighting quality over quantity.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-25T17:55:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-16T20:52:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/06\/16145206\/UCHealth-Today-Disrupted-sleep-is-a-risk-for-dementia-1500x500-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tyler Smith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tyler Smith\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tyler Smith\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/98c85c0e40c4933eedcec2cd054f349d\"},\"headline\":\"Disrupted sleep is a risk for dementia, but healthy sleep is within our reach, even as we age\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-25T17:55:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-16T20:52:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2100,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/16145206\\\/UCHealth-Today-Disrupted-sleep-is-a-risk-for-dementia-1500x500-1.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"adult 65 plus\",\"Alzheimer's care\",\"Neurology\",\"Parkinson\u2019s disease\",\"Senior care\",\"Women's care\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Healthy living\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sleep and dementia risk: Why more isn't always better - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/16145206\\\/UCHealth-Today-Disrupted-sleep-is-a-risk-for-dementia-1500x500-1.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-25T17:55:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-16T20:52:22+00:00\",\"description\":\"New research explores how sleep patterns, like getting too much sleep, may increase dementia risk, highlighting quality over quantity.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/16145206\\\/UCHealth-Today-Disrupted-sleep-is-a-risk-for-dementia-1500x500-1.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/16145206\\\/UCHealth-Today-Disrupted-sleep-is-a-risk-for-dementia-1500x500-1.webp\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"UCHealth Today - Disrupted sleep is a risk for dementia, but healthy sleep is within our reach, even as we age.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Disrupted sleep is a risk for dementia, but healthy sleep is within our reach, even as we age\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"description\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UCHealth\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"UCHealth\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uchealth\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/uchealth\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/14839\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/98c85c0e40c4933eedcec2cd054f349d\",\"name\":\"Tyler Smith\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d9cf06f094860ff4c88dfe85d3c79a05724744cb3f865253e7b928d904aaad8e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d9cf06f094860ff4c88dfe85d3c79a05724744cb3f865253e7b928d904aaad8e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d9cf06f094860ff4c88dfe85d3c79a05724744cb3f865253e7b928d904aaad8e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Tyler Smith\"},\"description\":\"Tyler Smith has been a health care writer, with a focus on hospitals, since 1996. He served as a writer and editor for the Marketing and Communications team at University of Colorado Hospital and UCHealth from 2007 to 2017. More recently, he has reported for and contributed stories to the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the Colorado School of Public Health and the Colorado Bioscience Association.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/author\\\/smiths3\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sleep and dementia risk: Why more isn't always better - UCHealth Today","description":"New research explores how sleep patterns, like getting too much sleep, may increase dementia risk, highlighting quality over quantity.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Disrupted sleep is a risk for dementia, but healthy sleep is within our reach, even as we age\u00a0","og_description":"New research explores how sleep patterns, like getting too much sleep, may increase dementia risk, highlighting quality over quantity.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/","og_site_name":"UCHealth Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","article_published_time":"2025-06-25T17:55:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-16T20:52:22+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/06\/16145206\/UCHealth-Today-Disrupted-sleep-is-a-risk-for-dementia-1500x500-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Tyler Smith","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uchealth","twitter_site":"@uchealth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tyler Smith","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/"},"author":{"name":"Tyler Smith","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/98c85c0e40c4933eedcec2cd054f349d"},"headline":"Disrupted sleep is a risk for dementia, but healthy sleep is within our reach, even as we age\u00a0","datePublished":"2025-06-25T17:55:39+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-16T20:52:22+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/"},"wordCount":2100,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/06\/16145206\/UCHealth-Today-Disrupted-sleep-is-a-risk-for-dementia-1500x500-1.webp","keywords":["adult 65 plus","Alzheimer's care","Neurology","Parkinson\u2019s disease","Senior care","Women's care"],"articleSection":["Healthy living"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/","name":"Sleep and dementia risk: Why more isn't always better - UCHealth Today","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/06\/16145206\/UCHealth-Today-Disrupted-sleep-is-a-risk-for-dementia-1500x500-1.webp","datePublished":"2025-06-25T17:55:39+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-16T20:52:22+00:00","description":"New research explores how sleep patterns, like getting too much sleep, may increase dementia risk, highlighting quality over quantity.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/06\/16145206\/UCHealth-Today-Disrupted-sleep-is-a-risk-for-dementia-1500x500-1.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/06\/16145206\/UCHealth-Today-Disrupted-sleep-is-a-risk-for-dementia-1500x500-1.webp","width":1500,"height":500,"caption":"UCHealth Today - Disrupted sleep is a risk for dementia, but healthy sleep is within our reach, even as we age."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/sleep-and-dementia-risk-why-more-isnt-always-better\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Disrupted sleep is a risk for dementia, but healthy sleep is within our reach, even as we age\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/98c85c0e40c4933eedcec2cd054f349d","name":"Tyler Smith","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d9cf06f094860ff4c88dfe85d3c79a05724744cb3f865253e7b928d904aaad8e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d9cf06f094860ff4c88dfe85d3c79a05724744cb3f865253e7b928d904aaad8e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d9cf06f094860ff4c88dfe85d3c79a05724744cb3f865253e7b928d904aaad8e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Tyler Smith"},"description":"Tyler Smith has been a health care writer, with a focus on hospitals, since 1996. He served as a writer and editor for the Marketing and Communications team at University of Colorado Hospital and UCHealth from 2007 to 2017. More recently, he has reported for and contributed stories to the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the Colorado School of Public Health and the Colorado Bioscience Association.","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/smiths3\/"}]}},"coauthors":[{"id":2143,"name":"Tyler Smith","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/smiths3\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83687"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86344,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83687\/revisions\/86344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}