Sleep and Cognitive Performance

A recent study assessed the relationship between sleep and cognitive performance in over 20,000 middle and older-age adults in China and the United Kingdom who were tracked for 20 years on measures of sleep. The study found that individuals who transitioned over time to morningness preference (i.e., “larks” who arise earlier in the morning) had better overall cognitive performance compared with those that maintained an eveningness preference (i.e., “owls” who arise later in the morning and stay up later at night). The study also found that individuals that habitually napped and then stopped napping had a higher risk of dementia compared to those who continued napping. This suggests that in those who habitually nap, these naps may have benefits and losing these benefits signals an elevated risk of cognitive decline. Finally, the study found that Insomnia was not linked to decreased cognitive performance.