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Short Sleep, Naps, Insomnia Linked to Brain Lesions

6/6/2026

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  • University of Arizona researchers found that sleeping under seven hours, frequent daytime napping, and persistent sleeplessness each predict white-matter lesion volumes in adults.
  • Linking 2006-2010 sleep questionnaires to MRI scans for 23,000 participants, the study found the three behaviors remained significant after adjusting for smoking and inactivity (? = 0.015–0.018, p <= 0.014).
  • Co-lead David Raichlen (USC) and author Madeline Ally said treating sleep as a single measure can hide brain-health effects.