A new study from the Australian National University (ANU) has found that poor sleep could have an impact on brain health. Findings of the study are published in the journal ‘Sleep Medicine’.

The research, a review of over 100 existing studies, found that sleep characteristics like poor quality or lack of sleep, as well as sleep disorders, were linked to lower brain volume.

Lower brain volume, or brain atrophy, refers to a reduction in brain tissue and connections, potentially leading to cognitive and functional impairments, and is often associated with aging, neurodegenerative diseases, or other health conditions.

The evidence suggests that inadequate sleep could contribute to neurodegeneration. Lead author of the study, Ph.D. candidate Dr. Tergel Namsrai said while there’s a clear overlap, the connection between our sleep and the health of our brains is poorly understood and needs to be looked at more closely.

“We now have stronger evidence that sleep could be a really important factor when it comes to brain health,” she said.

“We found, for example, people living with REM sleep behaviour disorders had lower gray matter volume in an area of the frontal lobe called the right frontal gyrus, reported the’Medical Xpress’.