Highlights
Some people with sleep apnea continue to feel very sleepy during the day even when they regularly use their CPAP machine. This ongoing sleepiness has been linked to memory problems and a higher risk of dementia, but it is often overlooked once a patient is on treatment. This study found that people with sleep apnea who still feel excessively sleepy — even while using their CPAP — tend to perform worse on tests of memory and thinking. A simple 10-minute reaction time test called the PVT was able to detect these thinking problems, making it a useful tool for doctors to identify patients who may need additional support for their brain health.
March 2026
Among more than 5,500 Hispanic and Latino adults, those experiencing disturbed sleep or excessive daytime sleepiness were significantly more likely to report declines in memory, language, attention, and overall cognitive function. These associations persisted even after accounting for depression, cardiovascular health, and sleep apnea severity, suggesting that sleep disturbances — regardless of their cause — may be an early warning sign for cognitive decline in this population.
March 2026
This study combining data from over 12,000 adults across three large U.S. research studies — including Hispanic/Latino, White, Black, and Chinese American populations — found that people who regularly sleep 9 or more hours per night tend to perform worse on thinking and memory tests. This pattern was consistent across different racial and ethnic groups, making it one of the more reliable findings in sleep and brain health research. While factors like insomnia and sleep apnea showed some associations with cognitive function, their effects were less consistent across groups. These results suggest that long sleep duration may be an early, easy-to-identify signal of cognitive risk — and that paying attention to how long we sleep could be an important step in protecting brain health as we age.
February 2026
This large study following over 3000 Hispanic and Latino adults for 14 years found that sleeping 9 or more hours per night was associated with faster cognitive decline over time, compared to those sleeping 7–9 hours. This association held regardless of whether participants had sleep apnea, suggesting that long sleep duration itself may be an independent risk factor for brain aging. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining healthy sleep habits to support long-term cognitive health.
Sleep Disordered Breathing and Subsequent Neuroimaging Markers of Brain Health in Hispanic/Latino Adults
This study explores how sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) affects brain health in over 2,600 Hispanic and Latino adults. Researchers found that more frequent breathing disruptions and lower oxygen levels during sleep were linked to changes in brain structure, including larger hippocampal volumes and more white matter damage — both markers of brain aging. Since Hispanic and Latino communities face higher rates of both SDB and dementia, these findings highlight the importance of monitoring sleep health early as a way to protect the brain long-term.
December 2025
December, 2024
September 2024
This study explores how breathing patterns during sleep relate to cognitive function in a large, diverse group of over 6,700 Hispanic and Latino adults. Using home sleep tests, researchers measured breathing rate and breathing rate variability — how much a person's breathing pace fluctuates — and found that faster, more irregular breathing was linked to worse memory, thinking, and overall cognitive performance. Notably, irregular breathing was only associated with poorer cognition in women, not men. These findings suggest that examining subtler breathing patterns, beyond standard sleep apnea measures, could offer new insights into brain health, particularly in Hispanic and Latino communities who face elevated risk for sleep-related conditions.
September, 2023
Sleep Duration and Brain MRI Measures: Results from SOL-INCA MRI Study. The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos
Sleep duration has been associated with dementia and stroke. Few studies have evaluated sleep pattern–related outcomes of brain disease in diverse Hispanics/Latinos. We found that longer sleep duration was associated with lower total brain and gray matter volume among diverse Hispanics/Latinos across sex and background. These results reinforce the importance of sleep on brain aging in this understudied population.
September, 2023
Sleep duration is associated with stroke risk and is 1 of 8 essential components of cardiovascular health according to the American Heart Association. As stroke disproportionately burdens Black and Hispanic populations in the United States, we hypothesized that long and short sleep duration would be associated with greater subclinical carotid atherosclerosis, a precursor of stroke, in the racially and ethnically diverse NOMAS (Northern Manhattan Study). The association between long sleep and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis may explain prior associations between long sleep and stroke.
August, 2023
This editorial aims to highlight the complex interplay among sleep, mental health, and chronic disease, emphasizing the critical role that sleep plays in health outcomes and overall well-being. With the mounting evidence linking sleep to numerous health problems — from mental health disorders to chronic diseases — it is paramount that we shift our focus toward understanding sleep not as a passive state but as a vital process for brain restoration and regulation. Recognizing and addressing sleep disturbances and disorders, along with promoting comprehensive strategies for improving sleep health, is a national imperative with far-reaching economic and health implications.
September, 2022
Poor sleep and different patterns of marital status among Hispanics/Latinos have been documented, yet the extent to which marital status is associated with sleep health and the moderating role of gender in this association among Hispanics/Latinos is poorly understood. Findings suggest being in a committed relationship associated with better sleep health in Hispanics/Latinos in the US, a diverse and under-represented population. Findings may have implications for tailoring sleep health interventions to at-risk populations who may less likely to be in a committed relationship.