People in their 50s and 60s who sleep 6 hours or less may face greater risk of dementia: Study

There are compelling scientific theories about why too little sleep might exacerbate the risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer's. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
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(NYTIMES) - Could getting too little sleep increase your chances of developing dementia?

For years, researchers have pondered this and other questions about how sleep relates to cognitive decline. Answers have been elusive because it is hard to know if insufficient sleep is a symptom of the brain changes that underlie dementia - or if it can actually help cause those changes.

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