Particularly prevalent in older adults, around a third of the UK is plagued with insomnia, subjected to waking up several times throughout the night or unable to fall asleep until the early hours of the morning.
However, their problems might be compounded by the recent findings that those who suffer from persistent sleep difficulties face a significantly increased risk of cognitive decline in later life.
Chronic insomnia - defined as experiencing sleep disruption for a minimum of three nights weekly over at least three months - is linked with a 40 per cent increased likelihood of progressing to dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
Brain imaging conducted as part of the study revealed concerning structural alterations in affected individuals. These included the accumulation of amyloid protein deposits and evidence of white matter deterioration, both recognised markers of neurological decline.
Insomnia is particularly prevalent in older individuals
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The investigation, featured in the journal Neurology and led by the Mayo Clinic, monitored 2,750 participants averaging 70 years of age across a five-year period.
Of these, 440 individuals had received chronic insomnia diagnoses at the start of the study.
Annual cognitive assessments revealed startling disparities between the groups. Amongst those experiencing chronic sleep disruption, 14 per cent progressed to either mild cognitive impairment or dementia during the research period.
Meanwhile, this rate fell to just 10 per cent amongst participants without sleep disorders.
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The analysis incorporated adjustments for variables including age, hypertension, sleep medication usage and sleep apnoea diagnoses, confirming the independent relationship between insomnia and cognitive deterioration.
Individuals sleeping less than typical patterns demonstrated poorer performance on initial cognitive evaluations.
Their brain imaging revealed elevated levels of white matter hyperintensities - indicators of small vessel damage within neural tissue. These participants also displayed greater amyloid accumulation compared to their counterparts.
Conversely, those reporting above-average sleep durations exhibited reduced white matter hyperintensities at the study's outset.
Those who struggle to sleep have a higher risk of experiencing cognitive decline later in life
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This finding suggests varying sleep patterns may influence brain health through distinct mechanisms, affecting both protein deposits and vascular integrity within neural structures.
The research identified particularly pronounced effects amongst individuals carrying the APOE ε4 genetic variant, which predisposes to Alzheimer's disease.
These participants exhibited accelerated deterioration in memory and cognitive function compared to non-carriers.
"Insomnia doesn't just affect how you feel the next day - it may also impact your brain health over time," Dr Diego Carvalho from the Mayo Clinic said.