Extreme sleep duration could affect brain health.

A new research study has shown that extreme changes in sleep duration may affect memory function. This research carried out by Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) suggests that sleeping too much or too little, may affect brain health later in life.
     The team, led by Elizabeth Devore, an instructor in medicine at the hospital found that women who slept for less than five hours per day, or more than nine hours per day, had worse memory, equivalent to nearly two additional years of age, than those sleeping seven hours per day.
     They also found that women whose sleep duration changed by greater than two hours per day over time, had worse memory than women with no change in sleep duration.
     In a statement, Elizabeth noted that good sleeping habits was an important factor to be considered in preserving memory into later life.

"Our findings suggests that getting an 'average' amount of sleep, seven hours per day,  may help maintain memory and that clinical interventions based on sleep therapy should be examined for the prevention of cognitive impairment"

     For the study, researchers collected data from more than 15200 participants of the Nurses Health Study.