Healthy Seniors: Study finds sleeping pills linked to higher risk for dementia

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Researchers found that older, white adults who said they used sleep aids often had a 79% higher chance of developing dementia compared to those who rarely or never used sleep medications.

A new study, recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease shows that sleep medications increase the risk of dementia for white older adults.

For the study, roughly three thousand seniors began sharing their sleep medication routines starting in 1997. Participants were between 70 and 79 and none had dementia. Nearly 6 in 10 were white and 4 in 10 were black.

According to the study, three times over five years, all were asked how often they took sleeping aids: never, rarely, sometimes, often and always. Participants also discussed the quality of their sleep, indicating how frequently they struggled with falling asleep and or getting up too early in the morning. After tracking participants for up to 15 years, the researchers found about one fifth developed dementia.

White seniors who used sleeping pills frequently faced 79% higher risk for dementia, but that was not the case among black seniors. And not just because far fewer black adults took sleeping aids frequently. Those who did use them often appeared to face no higher risk for developing dementia than those who rarely or never took a sleeping med. This came as a surprise to researchers, as prior studies suggests that black people generally face a higher risk for developing Alzheimer's than there white peers.

It's important to note this study cannot prove the causation of dementia for older white adults. The researchers agree that future studies are needed to confirm whether the sleep medications themselves are harmful, or if frequent use plays a role.