Insomnia can bring about all kinds of symptoms. You are tired, groggy and irritable after a poor night’s sleep. This article aims to find out how insomnia and memory are related to old age. Does chronic insomnia cause memory loss in the Elderly?
How Does Memory Work?
Memory consists of a sort of filing system in the brain, made up of nerve cells called neurons. Neurons store all the information that the brain gathers. Neurons are stimulated in a way that leaves a certain kind of impression on them to form the memory.
How is Insomnia Related to Memory?
Insomnia is known to cause problems with memory. This is because sleep is the time our brains process all the information that it has gathered during the day and stores it as memories. If you do not get adequate sleep, it is likely that the processes of your memory become affected. This means that it will become more difficult for you to remember.
Sleep in the Elderly
The results of several studies in how old age affects memory demonstrate that chronic insomnia in older people causes impairment in memory. Older people suffering from insomnia exhibit significantly reduced performance in learning and in the ability to remember the order of memories as well as reduced ability to avoid becoming distracted. Therefore, insomnia in older people is one of the factors contributing to the reduced ability to form memories.
Effects of Chronic Insomnia to Memory
• Short term memory loss
• Long term memory loss
• Difficulties in processing information
• Increased risk of memory problems in old age
• Increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease
These are some of the ways insomnia affects memory. Older people are more likely to suffer from memory related ailments when they suffer from chronic insomnia. It is important to get proper amount of sleep, not only because of general health and wellbeing, but because it is important part of our memory formation.
