Sleep, Physical Activity, and Cognitive Health in Older Adults

The world's population is aging, and age is the number one risk factor for dementia. Hence, preserving older adult cognitive health is an important public health challenge of the 21st century. Evidence suggests that poor sleep can have serious consequences on cognitive health. Unfortunately, changes in sleep quality are common consequences of aging. One reason for this is that the circadian pacemaker, the ~ 24 hour biological clock, weakens with age. However, changes in sleep quality and circadian function may be modifiable through lifestyle strategies such as physical activity (PA). Given that regular PA is also critical for healthy cognitive aging, PA and sleep quality may have a dynamic relationship with cognitive health. Thus, in this chapter, we review how (1) PA and sleep quality change with age, (2) PA and sleep quality impact cognitive health, and (3) PA and sleep quality are linked.