Story highlights Researchers scanned participants' brains approximately 3½ years apart

Those who slept poorly had a more rapid decline in brain volume

Results were more significant in participants over age of 60

(CNN) Can a lack of sleep affect the size of your brain? It's possible, a recent study published in an online issue of Neurology suggests.

European researchers looked at 147 adults between the ages of 20 and 84. With two MRI scans, they examined the link between sleep problems like insomnia and the study participants' brain volume. The first scan was taken before patients completed a questionnaire pertaining to their sleep habits. The second scan was done approximately 3½ years later.

The questionnaire showed that 35% of those in the study met the criteria for poor sleep health. Investigators found that those with sleep problems had a more rapid decline in brain volume or size over the course of the study than those who slept well.

The results were even more significant in participants over the age of 60.

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Numerous studies have showed the importance of sleep and the effect sleep deprivation can have on our brains. It is well-known that poor sleep patterns can contribute to such brain disorders as Alzheimer's and dementia.

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