Poor sleep quality linked to accelerated brain aging, study finds. Sleep experts weigh in.

We know quality sleep is good for our overall health, but new research is pointing to its importance for brain health too. 

In the study, published Wednesday in online journal Neurology, researchers found people with poor sleep quality have more signs of poor brain health in late middle age. 

Of the 589 participants, those who reported two to three poor sleep characteristics had an average brain age that was 1.6 years older than those with no more than one poor sleep characteristic. And those with more than three poor sleep characteristics had an average brain age 2.6 years older.