Research from Australia: Sleeping like this is like harming yourself, increasing the risk of dementia by 53%

During the winter, many people tend to sleep in more than they can afford. Cold mornings and evenings make waking up early a challenge.

While there's nothing wrong with getting a little extra sleep every now and then, new research suggests that irregular sleep schedules may increase your risk of dementia.

People with irregular sleeping habits are 53 per cent more likely to develop dementia , a new study has found , reports the Express.

Irregular sleep patterns may increase the risk of dementia. (Illustration photo)

The study, led by Australian scientists, was published in the journal Neurology. In the study, sleep consistency meant a person went to bed and woke up at the same time every day. Experts say this is as important as the amount of sleep.

"Sleep health recommendations often focus on getting the recommended amount of sleep, which is between seven and nine hours per night, but less emphasis is placed on maintaining a regular sleep schedule," explains study author Professor Matthew Paul Pase, from Monash University in Australia .

"Our findings suggest that a person's regular sleep habits are an important factor when considering their risk of developing dementia."

How was the research conducted?

In the study, a team from Monash University studied 88,094 people from the UK, with an average age of 62. Each participant was followed for an average of seven years.

Their sleep times were monitored for a week to establish sleep schedules.

The researchers analyzed these results and ranked each person's sleep regularity on a scale. Higher scores were assigned to people who went to bed at the same time every night.

For example, a person who goes to bed and wakes up at the same time every day would have a sleep regularity score of 100. Meanwhile, a person who goes to bed and wakes up at different times every day would have a score of 0.

Over a seven-year period, 480 participants developed dementia.

Researchers found that people with irregular sleep habits are at higher risk of developing the disease.

More specifically, people with irregular sleep patterns had a 53% higher risk of developing dementia than those with average sleep patterns.

' Effective sleep health education combined with behavioral therapies can improve sleep disorders,' added Professor Pase .

"Based on our findings, people with irregular sleep schedules may only need to improve their sleep regularity index to a moderate extent to prevent dementia."

However, he added: "Future research is needed to confirm our findings."

Previous studies have found links between poor sleep and a host of other health problems including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and depression.

The UK National Health Service (NHS) recommends that adults get between seven and nine hours sleep each night.