This Walking Habit Might Be One Of The Easiest Ways To Improve Your Balance

Posted on 23/05/2026 by Boris Clair

Walking on grass and sand helps you connect with nature, but it also has one unexpected benefit you might not know about.

Turns out, walking on uneven surfaces will activate your body’s alert system known as proprioception, an overlooked but critical sense that subconsciously tells you where your limbs and body are at all times.

If a surface is suddenly slanted, proprioception tells your body that “the position of your joint is different and so it would activate muscles in a different way so that you don’t fall over to the right,” said Claire Morrow, a physical therapist with Hinge Health.

When proprioception is working well, it’s automatic. Your feet will know where to land on the slope of a hill to keep your ankles stable without you looking.

But proprioception declines as you get older or after an injury, which is why you don’t want to ignore training this internal awareness system. You might just lose it if you stop using it.

For example, if you sprain your ankle, you can lose ligament stability and the proprioception “feedback loop” that prevents you from re-rolling your ankle and injuring yourself again, Morrow said. The good news is that with a few simple adjustments, you can hone this sense and train it to get better.

Training this sense doesn’t have to be intimidating

You don’t need to hike up a mountain to train your proprioception. Simply look for uneven surfaces that nature provides with grass, dirt or sand to give your body small challenges on your walk.

If you're used to only waking on sidewalks, try walking on grass to test your body's proprioception. — If you’re used to only waking on sidewalks, try walking on grass to test your body’s proprioception.

Walking on beach sand or soft grass in a park instead of predictably flat pavement can “give your body a challenge to react to something that was a little unexpected,” Morrow said, which is what’s needed to train your lower body’s proprioception.

She suggests starting on pressed dirt and then graduating to grass and sand. “If you don’t mind getting your feet dirty, then doing it barefoot is sometimes a fun way” to practice proprioception too, Morrow added.

If you’re nervous about your balance, you can use hiking poles on unstable surfaces to have the benefit of your foot testing different positions while still having support, Morrow said.

Since proprioception can decline with age, older adults at risk of falling should focus on honing this ability. One 2017 study of adults over 70 found that the loss of reliable proprioception was a key factor in why those adults were more likely to sway on their feet while standing.

Proprioception “can improve your balance, and with increased balance, you decrease the fall potential, especially in elderly people,” said Patrick Maloney, the lead athletic trainer at Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine in New Orleans.

“The danger of that impaired proprioception is you get into a position where you need to catch yourself, but you don’t have the quickness to catch yourself,” Morrow said.

Here is a quick proprioception test for yourself: Can you balance on one leg for 10 seconds? If you can’t, Morrow suggests working with a physical therapist who can give you exercises to improve this skill.

She also suggests consulting with a therapist if your walking pace has significantly declined or if you need to touch a wall or a railing while walking to stay balanced.

So the next time you go for a walk, try walking next to the sidewalk on some soft grass or dirt. It will give you a break from your usual routine and will also help train your body’s awareness to protect your health in the future.

5 Sex Positions That Can Be Dangerous After 70, According To Sex Experts

Posted on 10/05/2026 by Boris Clair

As you age, your go-to sex positions might not age as gracefully alongside you. After decades of showing off your flexibility in bed, you may notice as you enter your 70s that your joints ache, your back hurts and you maybe can’t bend as easily as before.

Arthritis and other age-related conditions may also come into play – issues that likely didn’t affect you when you were younger. Not to mention there’s the age-old (no pun intended) myth that your sex life somehow “ends” after a certain age.

“Body image shifts, loss of a long-term partner and deeply internalised ageism are among the biggest barriers to intimacy after 70,” Alicia Sinclair, sex educator, founder and CEO of Le Wand, told HuffPost.

“Sexual desire doesn’t have an expiration date, and neither does the need for connection and pleasure. Open communication with a partner – being explicit about what feels good and what doesn’t – often leads to greater intimacy than couples experienced in earlier years.”

Arthritis and other conditions may affect sex as you age.

Which means sex isn’t off the table after 70. Instead, it simply requires more adaptability and a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t.

Below is a list of sex positions that can become risky or uncomfortable after 70, – and expert-backed advice for what to try instead.

Traditional missionary (particularly for the bottom partner)

“This one catches people off guard,” according to Annette Benedetti, sex and intimacy coach and host of the podcast Talk Sex With Annette.

“Seventy-five percent of hip fractures happen in women, and bone density takes a nosedive after menopause. [The top partner’s] weight pressing down on [the bottom partner’s] hips and pelvis during missionary is exactly the kind of sustained force that can snap a fragile femur. Add vaginal atrophy and deep thrusting from above, and you’re also looking at vaginal tears and bleeding.”

Adds Sinclair: “Lying flat with a partner’s weight on top can compress the spine and make it difficult to breathe, especially for anyone with osteoporosis, spinal stenosis or limited hip mobility.”

Instead, Sinclair recommends using a wedge or positioning pillow under the hips to reduce lumbar strain or shifting to a side-lying position that keeps the spine in a neutral position.

Benedetti suggests flipping the dynamic with a modified cowgirl position, with the receiving partner on top, sitting upright on their partner’s lap or kneeling. “[The kneeling position] is what orthopaedic specialists recommend for women with osteoporosis. She controls the depth, the pace, and the pressure goes through his body, not hers.”

Doggy style (kneeling)

“Sustained kneeling puts significant pressure on the knees and wrists, and the position can destabilise the lower back,” Sinclair said. “For anyone with knee replacements, arthritis or balance issues, it’s a real injury risk.”

Benedetti adds that rear-entry positions with deep thrusting may also become uncomfortable over time. “With age – especially after menopause or other hormonal changes – internal tissues can become shorter, thinner and more sensitive. What once felt pleasurable can start to feel uncomfortable or even painful, with a higher risk of irritation or small tears.”

As an alternative, Sinclair recommends a supported standing variation, where one partner leans over a bed or cushioned surface, keeping weight off the knees entirely.

Another option is spooning. “You get a similar rear-entry angle and sense of closeness, but the receiving partner can control depth by adjusting their leg position,” Benedetti said. “It also removes pressure from the knees, wrists and shoulders, making it a much more comfortable choice overall.”

Adapting your favorite sex positions to your body and your comfort is the right choice at every age.

Legs up over shoulders positions

“This position demands hip flexion that older joints often can’t handle safely, especially for people with hip replacements or conditions like arthritis,” Benedetti said. “It can also create very deep penetration at a time when tissues may be more sensitive. That’s a challenging combination.”

The better option? Reclining with a pillow wedge under the hips. Keep the knees bent and slightly apart, with the hips gently elevated to achieve a similar angle — without putting excess strain on the joints. This allows for better alignment and comfort while reducing orthopaedic risk.

Cowgirl / reverse cowgirl (on top)

“This requires quad strength, hip flexibility and balance – all of which decline with age,” Sinclair said. “A fall or sudden movement can cause hip fractures or knee injuries, which are among the most serious fall-related injuries in older adults.”

If you’re keen on doing the position, Sinclair recommends using a supported seated straddle – sitting face-to-face in a sturdy chair or using a dedicated intimate machine like The Cowgirl with a low, stable platform, which distributes weight differently and reduces fall risk dramatically.

Standing sex

“Balance and bone density both decline after 70, and the one-year mortality rate after a hip fracture sits around 25%,” Benedetti said. “A fall during sex isn’t a punchline; it’s a serious event.”

What can you do instead? Benedetti suggests using a sturdy armchair. One partner sits while the other straddles. Face-to-face, full-body contact – all the closeness without the risk of a fall.

Sex might look and feel different in your 70s than it did in previous decades, but it doesn’t mean it has to feel less pleasurable. With a better understanding of the body’s changing needs, couples can adapt their sex life rather than give up on it.

Scientists Think They’ve Found A Way To Stop Ageing ‘Zombie Cells’

Posted on 02/04/2026 by Boris Clair

As we age, our bodies lose some resilience, which can lead to less movement throughout the day and an increased risk of facing multiple chronic diseases at once (multimorbidity).

This happens partly because senescent cells, sometimes called “zombie” cells, stop dividing and build up. They secrete “proinflammatory molecules that contribute to chronic inflammation and ageing-related diseases”.

A process called senolysis usually clears these away, but as we get older, that cleaning system becomes less efficient.

But scientists from the University of Kyoto think they’ve found a way to slow or stop the production of these “zombie cells”.

How did the researchers stop “zombie cells” from building up?

Though we knew that “zombie cells” seemed to create inflammation that affected nearby cells, scientists weren’t sure about how this went on to affect someone’s body.

These researchers looked closer at the senescent cells themselves and found they heavily relied on glycolysis (using sugar for energy), a process which is also involved in the spreading of cancer cells.

Using bioluminescence to help see what was going on in the cell better, scientists found that two enzymes were crucial to glycolysis in “zombie cells”. Their binding was increased in sensecent cells.

So, when they were able to interrupt that key interaction, researchers could selectively “delete” zombie cells.

In mice, the change was linked to reduced lung fibrosis.

They also found that when this activity was diminished, a protein that triggers cell death was suppressed too.

What might this mean?

The study authors hope this might help to maintain resilience in older age.

That way, it’s hoped, the risk of multimorbidity might go down.

This study’s corresponding author, Hiroshi Kondoh, said: “Our findings in glycolytic regulation suggest that impaired metabolic resilience in ageing is one of the targets for senotherapy, to aid in preservation of resilience in ageing.”

Five Habits A GP Says Separates People Who Age Well From Those Who Don’t

Posted on 25/03/2026 by Boris Clair

It turns out that tiny changes – minutes more exercise, a few grams more veggies – can make a surprisingly large difference to your longevity and heart attack risk.

And Dr Dominic Greenyer, a private GP at The Health Suite, said that those lifestyle changes become medically obvious in time.

“If you followed two twins over time, you would often see clear differences in their skin, body composition, energy levels and overall health depending on how they live,” Dr Greenyer said.

“Ageing is not just about time passing. It’s about how well the body is maintained.”

Here, he shared the five factors he feels make all the difference:

1) Building and maintaining muscle

As we age, our muscles begin to wane – a process called sarcopenia. If we do nothing to maintain or build it, some research says we’re expected to lose half our muscle mass by 80.

“One of the biggest predictors of healthy ageing is muscle mass,” Dr Greenyer said.

2) Prioritising sleep and recovery

“Chronic poor sleep can accelerate ageing at a cellular level,” Dr Greenyer said.

“It affects hormones, recovery, inflammation and even visible signs like skin quality.”

Experts think that following a “7-1” sleeping rule (getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, with no more than an hour’s variance between bedtimes and wake-up times) could add years to your life.

3) Reducing inflammation through lifestyle choices

In and of itself, inflammation isn’t a problem – it can help our bodies to heal and may be an important part of muscle growth.

But “inflammaging” can occur when inflammation is chronic, and might contribute to conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and frailty.

It “is influenced by diet, stress, alcohol intake and overall lifestyle,” Dr Greenyer said.

Those who eat whole foods, stay active, and manage stress well may have less unwanted inflammation, he added.

4) Enjoy life, in moderation

There’s lots of research to support the idea that enjoying ourselves – be it through socialising or even eating some candy – might help us to live longer.

“There is good evidence that polyphenol-rich foods such as dark chocolate can support cardiovascular health when consumed in moderation,” Dr Greenyer added. “Just as important is maintaining strong social connections, which are consistently associated with longer lifespan and better mental wellbeing.”

He ended, “The difference comes from small choices repeated over years – but they should still allow you to enjoy life.”

‘Ikigai’ Could Hold The Secret To Happier Ageing. I Asked A GP How To Find Yours

Posted on 24/03/2026 by Boris Clair

Medical comment provided by Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor.

You might already know that having a sense of purpose is linked to greater longevity and a longer cognitive healthspan.

Those who are passionate and knowledgeable about their interests may face a lower dementia risk, too.

When Héctor Garcia, who co-wrote Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, went to the “village of longevity,” Ogimi Village, he noticed that the “healthy and active seniors” there often said they had an “ikigai”.

The term refers to something that brings value, meaning, and purpose to life. Here, we asked GP Dr Suzanne Wylie to share her thoughts on the topic.

What is “ikigai”?

It’s a compound of two Japanese words, “life” (iki) and “value, benefit” (-gai).

The Japanese government’s site describes it as “that which brings value and joy to life: from people, such as one’s children or friends, to activities including work and hobbies.”

Japanese psychologist Katsuya Inoue said it has two elements. These are “sources or objects that bring value or meaning to life,” and “a feeling that one’s life has value or meaning because of the existence of its source or object”.

It is a “broad term”, which can include everything from gardening to art to butterflies.

Ikigai is a practice as much as it is a passion. “Everyone knows what the source of their zest for life is, and is busily engaged in it every day,” Garcia wrote.

What are the benefits of “ikigai”?

Dr Wylie told us she approaches the concept of Ikigai with “a mix of curiosity and cautious optimism.

“There is certainly a growing body of observational evidence suggesting that having a sense of purpose in life is associated with better health outcomes, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, lower rates of depression, and even increased longevity,” she added.

So, though we can’t be as sure it’ll benefit us as much as, e.g., controlling blood pressure or quitting smoking, “it is plausible that [ikigai] contributes [to longevity] indirectly by encouraging engagement in meaningful activities, fostering social connections, and reducing stress, all factors known to influence physical and cognitive health as people age”.

For instance, Dr Wylie shared, people who garden, engage in creative hobbies, or even spend time with loved ones, “tend to have better emotional regulation, lower inflammatory markers, and are more likely to maintain an active lifestyle.

“These factors can contribute to what we would call healthy ageing, meaning a later onset of frailty, preserved cognitive function, and a greater quality of life, even if the absolute extension of lifespan is modest.”

How can I find an “ikigai”?

Dr Wylie told us there’s no set prescription.

Instead, it’s “more about encouraging people to reflect on what genuinely matters to them and finding ways to integrate that into daily life.

“This might mean advising someone to take up a hobby they have always enjoyed, join social or community groups, or even structure their day around small, purposeful tasks that bring them satisfaction”.

But simply learning what you like isn’t enough, the GP added.

“The key is consistency and meaningful engagement rather than intensity; it is the regular, ongoing sense of purpose that appears to be protective,” she explained.

“For older adults, in particular, maintaining social connections and pursuing interests can mitigate loneliness and cognitive decline, which in itself may confer measurable health benefits.”

Autism Goes Undiagnosed In About 90% Of Over-40s. I Asked Experts How To Spot It

Posted on 03/02/2026 by Boris Clair

You might have heard that autism diagnoses are on the rise in the UK. Some even argue it’s being “overdiagnosed”.

But the National Autistic Society says that about 750,000 autistic adults in the UK remain undiagnosed. And a 2025 review estimated that 89% of autistic adults over 40 remain undiagnosed, with that figure rising to 96% for over-60s.

Here, HuffPost UK spoke to the review’s author, research fellow and co-leader of the ReSpect Lab, Dr Gavin Stewart, about why those numbers might be so high, and how autism might show up among older adults.

Why are these numbers so high?

Dr Stewart said that in his research, an overwhelming majority of autistic people aged 40 and older remained undiagnosed.

He explained that there are “many reasons” for that.

“First, the diagnostic criteria for autism have greatly evolved over the past several decades. It was originally conceptualised with very narrow diagnostic criteria,” he said.

“This meant that it was a rare condition, affecting around 1 in 3,000 people in the 1960s.”

But as our understanding of autism expanded, he said, so too did the diagnostic criteria; autism is now recognised as a “spectrum affecting around 1 in 100 to 1 in 33 people.

“This means that many middle-aged and older people were likely overlooked when they were young as they did not fit the narrow diagnostic criteria being used at the time.”

Some members of this group, however, can go on to get a diagnosis under the new criteria, he added.

Why does it matter if people stay undiagnosed into older age?

Having autism without realising it can affect people’s lives in many ways, the study author told us.

“For some, it might mean that they are not able to access help and support that would be available to them if they did have a diagnosis. For example, autistic people often benefit from additional support while as a child in school, or as an adult when in higher education or in employment.”

Their physical health might be affected, too.

“Autistic people often have more complex health support needs, including age-related health conditions as they get older. While accommodations can be made to make healthcare more accessible for autistic people, if the person has not been recognised,” Dr Stewart said.

And a lack of tailored support can take its toll on autistic people’s mental health, too.

“They are more likely to become socially isolated and have poorer well-being, which in turn can lead them to be more susceptible to periods of crisis like suicide.”

What are some signs of undiagnosed autism in over-40s?

Some signs of autism are “common” among both diagnosed and undiagnosed autistic people, said Dr Stewart.

These can include:

1) Social difficulties

“In social situations, an autistic person might find it hard to read what other people are thinking or feeling, and they might struggle to tell when someone is joking or being sarcastic.

“Making and maintaining friendships can feel effortful, and people might
perceive them as being quite blunt or uninterested without meaning to. This might make them feel quite anxious and uncertain in social situations, meaning they prefer to be on their own.”

2) Very consistent and rigid routines

“In daily routines, an autistic person might have a strong preference for sameness, so doing things the same way every time, and when things change, it can be quite distressing,” said Dr Stewart.

3) Special interests

“They may also have very focused interests, which can be beneficial for
some but not always.”

4) Becoming overwhelmed and/or overstimulated often

“They may also find certain sensory environments quite
overwhelming, and notice details that many other people do not, like the way a room smells or the buzzing of overhead lights.”

Dr Stewart noted that some autistic people, especially women, will have learned to “mask”, meaning they “have learned to hide parts of themselves to fit in
better, but this is an effortful process and can have an impact on their wellbeing.”

What if I think I have autism?

Dr Stewart advised speaking to a healthcare professional, like a GP, if you think you might have autism and want to explore an assessment.

“There are also charities and organisations, like the National Autistic Society in the UK, who can provide information about accessing autism assessments as an adult,” he added.

You can reach out to the National Autistic Society through this link.

A Simple Change To Your Commute Could Boost Your Brain, Says Dementia Charity

Posted on 26/01/2026 by Boris Clair

According to neurologist Dr Richard Restak’s book How To Prevent Dementia, “Cognitive reserve theory refers to the representation stored within the brain of the knowledge, experience, and life events that accumulate during the course of a person’s lifetime”.

The more “cognitive reserve” we have, he explained, the better we might be protected against conditions like dementia. “A lifetime investment in building up cognitive reserve leads to healthy cognition and thinking later in life,” he wrote.

Dr Restak called reading fiction “perhaps the single most effective” way to build this up.

But Alzheimer’s Research UK, who have launched a Think Brain Health campaign this year, are releasing brain teasers to help us build up our reserves, which they say can be done in quiet moments like during your commut.

After all, research suggests that puzzles like crosswords may help to strengthen our minds as we age, too.

Challenging our brains is good for us – but may be falling out of style

Alzheimer’s UK found that only 30% of UK adults do “brain-teasing” activities like soduko and crosswords, while 32% say they do them less often now than they did a year ago.

And even though 71% of us have free time on public transport, 68% of us use that period to scroll through our phones or watch shows, they wrote.

So, the foundation has created a brain teaser to help people fill gaps like those in their schedule. They began by launching an image which hides 40 train station names, created with artist Chris Bishop.

“Research suggests that there are steps we can all take to protect our brain health and build our cognitive reserve, making our brains more resilient no matter what age we start,” Dr Jacqui Hanley, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said.

“If someone with a high cognitive reserve develops dementia, studies have found that they typically experience Alzheimer’s symptoms around five years later than those who don’t regularly challenge their brains.

“It’s never too early to make positive lifestyle changes, and this brain-teasing puzzle is a great way to introduce brain challenges into your daily routine”.

How many train station names can you find in this image?

For their first brain teaser, Alzheimer’s Research UK shared an image created with artist Chris Bishop and released with support from Great Western Railway.

It contains 40 hidden train station names in the UK. And if, like me, you find the image truly challenging, Alzheimer’s UK said, “This puzzle has been designed to help you challenge your brain, so don’t worry if you didn’t find them all”.

After all, Dan Panes, Head of External Communications at Great Western Railway, said, “This puzzle had some of our colleagues scratching their heads!”

Adulthood Starts After 30 And The Three Other ‘Brain Eras’ We Get

Posted on 27/12/2025 by Boris Clair

New research released by Cambridge University has revealed that our brains develop at five pivotal ages in our lives and, it turns out, adulthood doesn’t really kick in until people are around 32.

The study was based on the brain scans of almost 4,000 people aged under one to 90 and it mapped neural connections and how they evolve over our lifetimes. The research revealed five broad phases with pivotal ‘turning points’ around the ages of 9, 32, 66 and 83 years old.

Professor Duncan Astle, a researcher in neuroinformatics at the university and senior author of the study said: “Looking back, many of us feel our lives have been characterised by different phases. It turns out that brains also go through these eras,

“Understanding that the brain’s structural journey is not a question of steady progression, but rather one of a few major turning points, will help us identify when and how its wiring is vulnerable to disruption.”

The four pivotal stages of brain development

Childhood

According to the study, childhood lasts from birth until around the age of nine years old, when children enter adolesence.

Adolescence

In news that will help a lot of us excuse previous mistakes, according to the study, adolesence lasts until around the age of 32, which is when adulthood really starts to kick in.

According to the researchers, this is around the age that mental health disorders are likely to develop, too.

“This phase is the brain’s only period when its network of neurons gets more efficient”, the researchers said.

Adulthood

This is when the brain hits ‘stability’, according to the researchers and this lasts around three decades.

They say: “Change is slower during this time compared with the fireworks before, but here we see the improvements in brain efficiency flip into reverse.”

Lead author of the study, Dr Alexa Mousely says that this: “aligns with a plateau of intelligence and personality” that many of us will have witnessed or even experienced.

Early ageing

This kicks in around 66 but researchers urge that this is “not an abrupt and sudden decline” but instead a time when there are shifts in the patterns of connections in the brain.

They added: “Instead of coordinating as one whole brain, the organ becomes increasingly separated into regions that work tightly together – like band members starting their own solo projects.”

Although the study looked at healthy brains, this is also the age at which dementia and high blood pressure, which affects brain health, are starting to show.

Late ageing

This is the final stage, occuring around age 83.

There is less data than for the other groups as finding healthy brains to scan was more challenging. The brain changes are similar to early ageing, but even more pronounced.

This could help with our understanding of ageing brains

Duncan Astle, professor of neuroinformatics at the University of Cambridge and part of the team responsible for the research, said: “Many neurodevelopmental, mental health and neurological conditions are linked to the way the brain is wired. Indeed, differences in brain wiring predict difficulties with attention, language, memory, and a whole host of different behaviours.

Here’s hoping.

The Nighttime Routine Scientists, Dentists, And Longevity Experts Swear By

Posted on 09/12/2025 by Boris Clair

Longevity expert after longevity expert has said that the steps to a longer life are somewhat familiar, even boring; a good diet, enough sleep, and adequate physical activity are key.

But exciting research is happening within those. Which is why some scientists have advised on everything from when you eat your dinner to the best bedtime for better ageing.

Here, we’ll share some studies which might make your nighttime routine as conducive as possible for the best, and even most longevity-boosting, results:

Speaking to GQ, Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, said that the longest-living people he’s tracked stopped eating 12 hours before breakfast the following day.

That may be, he said, because digesting food may interrupt your sleep and could mean food is stored in a different way.

So, if you’re an eight-hour sleeper, that could mean you stop eating four hours before you sleep and have breakfast right away.

Or you could stop eating three hours before sleep and wait an hour after waking to have brekkie.

Gum disease has been linked to a range of health issues, from heart conditions to tooth loss, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and even depression.

We don’t know exactly whether worse gum health comes from people having preexisting health conditions, which can make looking after your teeth harder, or if they actually cause the problems to begin with.

But speaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Jenna Chimon, a cosmetic dentist at Long Island Veneers, explained that gums are “living tissue connected directly to your bloodstream… bacteria and the toxins they release create a constant state of inflammation”.

Low-grade chronic inflammation has been linked to faster ageing and worse health outcomes.

So while again, we still don’t know exactly in which direction the gum health/all-body health connection flows, experts reccomend flossing anyway ― worst case scenario, you’ll have happier gums.

A 2024 paper listed sleep regularity as a “stronger predictor of mortality” than even sleep duration.

That means that when you go to bed might be more important than how long you sleep when it comes to your risk of death, though having either way too much or way too little sleep is also linked to an increased risk of premature death in the same paper.

Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, registered dietician and longevity specialist Melanie Murphy Richter, who studied under longevity researcher Dr Valter Longo at the University of Southern California, said, “Sleep is one of the most powerful longevity tools we have, and timing matters.

“Going to bed between 10pm and midnight and waking with the sun supports circadian rhythms, hormone balance, and cellular repair – all critical for healthy ageing,” she added.

It is true that some of us have a later chronotype, or a natural “night owl” body clock.

But a 2024 study by Stanford researchers suggested that no matter your natural preference, sleeping after 1am was linked to worse ageing outcomes.

“To age healthily, individuals should start sleeping before 1am, despite chronobiological preferences,” they wrote.

Can Resetting Your Body Clock Help Prevent Dementia?

Posted on 03/11/2025 by Boris Clair

Poor sleep, especially in midlife, has been associated with an increased risk of developing dementia.

We aren’t sure exactly why the two appear to be linked, though, and it can be very hard to unpick whether it’s an early symptom of Alzheimer’s vs an actual cause of it.

New research, however, has found that turning off a circadian (related to the sleep-wake cycle) protein in mice reduced their levels of tau protein, the accumulation of which in the brain is linked to dementia.

It also seemed to raise their nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+, levels, associated with increased protection against dementia.

Why might your body clock be linked to dementia?

In the experiment, published in the journal Nature Ageing, scientists genetically removed a circadian protein called REV-ERBα in two groups of mice.

REV-ERBα, which helps to regulate our metabolic cycle and inflammation levels, also appears to control our NAD+ levels (the coenzyme we mentioned earlier, which seems to counteract the changes linked to dementia).

In one of the groups of mice, they deleted REV-ERBα proteins across their entire body.

In another group, the deletion only happened in astrocytes – star-shaped cells which make up a large part of the nervous system and help to support our brains.

For both groups of mice, the change led to increased NAD+ levels.

Speaking to WashU Medicine about a separate paper published in Nature Neuroscience, Dr Erik S. Musiek, who was involved in both studies, said: “There are 82 genes that have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease risk, and we found that the circadian rhythm is controlling the activity of about half of those.

“Knowing that a lot of these Alzheimer’s genes are being regulated by the circadian rhythm gives us the opportunity to find ways to identify therapeutic treatments to manipulate them and prevent the progression of the disease.”

What might this mean?

In the Nature Ageing paper, the researchers ran further studies that involved a combination of both the genetic deletion of REV-ERBα and a promising new medicine. This appeared to increase NAD+ levels.

The researchers suggest that inhibiting the protein may be more useful at certain stages of dementia, like early on when tau tangles are forming, than others.

“Our studies shed light on crucial neuroprotective mechanisms mediated by REV-ERBα in astrocytes and should help guide ongoing drug development efforts to target REV-ERBα function in AD and other neurodegenerative diseases,” the paper reads.