A new study suggests your internal body clock may play an important role in brain health. Researchers found that older adults with weaker or irregular daily rhythms were much more likely to develop dementia in the following years. Circadian rhythms help regulate sleep, energy and hormones, and when those rhythms become unstable, the brain may become more vulnerable.
The study followed more than 2,100 adults with an average age of 79 who did not have dementia at the start. Participants wore monitors for about two weeks to track daily activity and rest patterns, then were followed for roughly three years. Those with the weakest rhythms had nearly 2.5 times the risk of developing dementia compared with those with stronger, more regular patterns. People whose activity peaked later in the day also faced higher risk.
Researchers believe disrupted rhythms may affect sleep quality and increase inflammation, making it harder for the brain to clear amyloid, a protein linked to dementia. While the study does not prove cause and effect, it adds to growing evidence that keeping a regular sleep-wake schedule and getting consistent daylight exposure may help protect long-term brain health.
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