Brain health stories

Oct 29, 2026

Older adults' brains adapt better to sleep deprivation, Simon Fraser University study finds

Research from Simon Fraser University reveals that older adults' brains cope more effectively with lack of sleep compared to younger individuals, according to findings published in Imaging Neuroscience using functional connectivity analysis.

Oct 29, 20261 source

Top claims

▪Lead researcher Josh Neudorf of Simon Fraser University stated that older and younger adult brains responded in opposite ways when subjected to acute sleep loss of three hours.
▪In a Simon Fraser University study, three hours of sleep loss caused decreased brain network connectivity in older adults aged 65 to 75, promoting more efficient modular connectivity across the brain.
▪According to the theory of compensation cited by Simon Fraser University researchers, aging brains compensate for deteriorating sleep quality by reorganizing network connections to maintain cognitive function.

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