Sleep Problems May Increase Risk of Dementia

I'm a crazy stickler for my sleep. When it's time for bed, I literally shut down and block out the world because if I don't get a good night of sleep, the universe pays the next day. Sleep is super important, a fact scientists are quickly discovering.

Even though we don't talk about sleep very much, it shouldn't come as a surprise that our health depends on it. Just think about how much time in our lives is spent sleeping- there's got to be something going on there, right?

A new study has now linked sleep problems with an increase in the risk of dementia.

Researchers found that people who have reduced oxygen in their blood during sleep, from conditions like sleep apnea, are more likely to have abnormalities in their brain tissue and these abnormalities lead to very small strokes that cause memory loss and other brain problems as the years roll on.

So if you or your spouse is telling you that you’re snoring very loudly, get it checked out. It might improve the quality of your life today as well as the quality of your life as you get older.