As people age, both sleep patterns and the brain undergo changes. Many older adults sleep less and experience restlessness or worries more frequently than earlier in life.
Researchers have therefore increasingly investigated whether sleep plays a role in mental health.
According to Medical Xpress, several studies have already shown that poor sleep may be associated with higher levels of anxiety.
At the same time, scientists know that certain areas of the brain can gradually lose volume with age. These regions are among those that are important for managing emotions.
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Experiments with older participants
A research team from the University of California, Berkeley, wanted to examine how sleep, brain structure, and anxiety are connected. The results have been published in the journal Communications Psychology.
The study included 61 healthy people over the age of 65. The participants spent one night in a sleep laboratory, where researchers measured their brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG).
The following day, the participants underwent a brain scan using magnetic resonance imaging.
This allowed the researchers to determine whether there were signs of age-related changes in the parts of the brain that process emotions.
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An important sleep phase
The researchers focused particularly on the deep sleep phase known as NREM sleep. During this phase, the brain produces slow waves.
According to researcher Eti Ben Simon, the results showed that people with more of this activity during sleep typically experienced less anxiety the next day.
The study therefore suggests that the quality of deep sleep may play an important role in the emotional balance of older adults.
The findings also indicate that improving sleep could become an important focus in future efforts to prevent or reduce anxiety among older people.
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Sources: Medical Xpress, and Communications Psychology.
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