How Sleep Deprivation Worsens Dementia Symptoms and Aggravates Heart Disease, Diabetes, and More: Study Reveals - Video
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Overview
A new review published in The Aging, compiles findings from recent studies on how sleep problems-such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and disrupted sleep cycles—can worsen dementia and accelerate cognitive decline. It also emphasizes the profound impact of these sleep disorders on caregivers, who often face burnout and emotional stress.
Such issues go beyond causing fatigue—they accelerate memory loss, increase confusion, and raise the risk of behavioral symptoms like agitation. Addressing sleep challenges is critical to improving quality of life for both patients and their caregivers. Caregivers, who often support loved ones around the clock, face significant stress when dealing with these sleep disorders.
“This situation creates a vicious cycle where caregiver distress exacerbates patient symptoms, further increasing the burden on caregivers.”
This review also explores how other illnesses, common in older adults with dementia, worsen sleep disturbances. Conditions such as diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, heart disease, and anxiety disrupt sleep, and poor sleep then worsens both the dementia and the underlying illnesses. For instance, untreated sleep apnea can significantly accelerate cognitive decline in people with dementia.
In conclusion, this review highlights the critical need for a more comprehensive approach to dementia care.
Reference: Mukherjee, U., Sehar, U., Brownell, M., & Reddy, P. H. (2024). Sleep deprivation in dementia comorbidities: focus on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, anxiety/depression and thyroid disorders. Aging.
Speakers
Dr. Bhumika Maikhuri
BDS, MDS
Dr Bhumika Maikhuri is a Consultant Orthodontist at Sanjeevan Hospital, Delhi. She is also working as a Correspondent and a Medical Writer at Medical Dialogues. She completed her BDS from Dr D Y patil dental college and MDS from Kalinga institute of dental sciences. Apart from dentistry, she has a strong research and scientific writing acumen. At Medical Dialogues, She focusses on medical news, dental news, dental FAQ and medical writing etc.
