# Divergent effects of sleep efficiency and sleep medication on episodic memory in mid to late life

## TL;DR

This study explores how sleep quality and medication affect memory in older adults, finding that sleep efficiency and medication use impact memory differently depending on age.

## Contribution

The study reveals age-dependent effects of sleep efficiency and medication on specific aspects of episodic memory.

## Key findings

- Worse sleep efficiency is linked to worse overall episodic memory.
- Sleep medication use positively affects verbal and pattern separation memory.
- Effects of sleep and medication on memory vary with age.

## Abstract

Different aspects of sleep quality are known to decline with age, and these changes have been shown to impact performance across multiple cognitive domains. However, despite a growing body of literature, the impact of changes to quality of sleep on episodic memory remains elusive, with some studies finding effects and others failing to find a relation.

In this study, participants [N = 173, mean age = 65.30, range = [45–88]], completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index as well as three episodic memory tests (verbal and visual episodic memory and pattern separation).

We found that worse sleep efficiency was associated with worse overall episodic memory. Further, medication use had a positive effect on verbal, pattern separation, and overall episodic memory. Findings occurred in an age-dependent manner.

These results underscore the complexity of sleep–memory interactions and suggest that certain aspects of episodic memory may be more sensitive to specific components of sleep quality than others, particularly as individuals age.