A recent study shows that sleep deprivation ages the brain. Researchers asked study participants in a study at University College London Medical School compared how much sleep participants were getting over five-year period.
Those whose sleep declined during those five years showed an accelerated mental decline during the cognitive testing that equaled four to seven years of aging. “Sleep regenerates neurons that enable the brain to function optimally,” says lead author Jane Ferrie, Ph.D., senior researcher.
What is fascinating is the finding that those who had slept more during the five-year study also exhibited cognitive decline, possibly due to depression, heart disease, or other illnesses. So what is the best length of sleep to have? Six to eight hours, only if it is done consistently.