Poor sleep linked to anxiety, memory loss

Do you know that not getting enough sleep can lead to a devastating effect? A new researchers have found that poor sleep leads to fading memory and a heightened risk of depression, anxiety and stress.

Researchers in the UK who carried out an in-depth survey of more than 1,000 British adults found that poor sleep leads to fading memory and a heightened risk of depression, anxiety and stress.

The research showed that people who slept for less than five hours a night struggled to function effectively the next day.

According to the study, such people could not remember where things were and forgot to carry out simple planned tasks such as posting letters or taking medication.

A lot of previous sleep research has been based on lab studies, said Dr Anna Weighall, from the University of Leeds, who presented the findings at the European Society of Cognitive Psychology's annual meeting in Potsdam, Germany

This is the first time we have surveyed people in their everyday lives.

What is emerging is the debilitating impact of poor patterns of sleep.

People who are not getting enough sleep are at risk of experiencing a much lower quality of life and it hinders their ability to function effectively when they are awake.

The analysis found a statistically significant relationship between poor sleep and reduced mental well-being, and a strong link between lack of sleep and everyday memory problems.

The associations were even stronger in people who regularly slept for less than five hours per night.

There is now a very compelling case to say there is a strong relationship between getting a good night's sleep and experiencing better health, well-being and memory function, Dr Weighall said.