Study: Lack of Sleep Could Shrink Your Brain

If you need a reason to turn in earlier, consider this: European researchers have found that a lack of sleep could affect the size of your brain.

The researchers examined 147 adults between the age of 20 and 84, using two MRI scans to examine the link between sleep problems, such as insomnia, and the size of the participants' brains. They found that the participants with sleep problems had a more rapid decline in brain size over the course of the study than those who slept well. These results were especially pronounced in participants over the age of 60.

In addition to brain size, poor sleep has also been linked to problems with the immune system, cardiovascular health, weight and memories as well as brain disorders such as Alzheimer's and dementia.

The researchers stressed that they still need to determine whether the brain shrinkage is a cause or consequence of poor sleep habits.

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