Variability in objective sleep is associated with Alzheimer's pathology and cognition

Both sleep duration and sleep efficiency have been associated with risk of Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that interventions to promote optimal sleep may be a way to reduce Alzheimer's disease risk. However, studies often focus on average sleep measures, usually from self-report questionnaires, ignoring the role of intra-individual variability in sleep across nights quantified from objective sleep measures. The current cross-sectional study sought to investigate the role of intra-individual variability in accelerometer-based objective sleep duration and sleep efficiency in relation to in vivo Alzheimer's disease pathology (beta-amyloid and tau) using positron emission tomography imaging and cognition (working memory, inhibitory control, verbal memory, visual memory and global cognition). To examine these relationships, we evaluated 52 older adults (age = 66.4 +/- 6.89, 67% female, 27% apolipoprotein E4 carriers) with objective early mild cognitive impairment. Modifying effects of apolipoprotein E4 status were also explored. Less intra-individual variability in sleep duration was associated with lower beta-amyloid burden, higher global cognition and better inhibitory control, with a trend for lower tau burden. Less intra-individual variability in sleep efficiency was associated with lower beta-amyloid burden, higher global cognition and better inhibitory control, but not with tau burden. Longer sleep duration was associated with better visual memory and inhibitory control. Apolipoprotein E4 status significantly modified the association between intra-individual variability in sleep efficiency and beta-amyloid burden, such that less sleep efficiency variability was associated with lower beta-amyloid burden in apolipoprotein E4 carriers only. There was a significant interaction between sleep duration and apolipoprotein E4 status, suggesting that longer sleep duration is more strongly associated with lower beta-amyloid burden in apolipoprotein E4 carriers relative to non-carriers. These results provide evidence that lower intra-individual variability in both sleep duration and sleep efficiency and longer mean sleep duration are associated with lower levels of beta-amyloid pathology and better cognition. The relationships between sleep duration and intra-individual variability in sleep efficiency with beta-amyloid burden differ by apolipoprotein E4 status, indicating that longer sleep duration and more consistent sleep efficiency may be protective against beta-amyloid burden in apolipoprotein E4 carriers. Longitudinal and causal studies are needed to better understand these relationships. Future work should investigate factors contributing to intra-individual variability in sleep duration and sleep efficiency in order to inform intervention studies. Fenton et al. report that less variability in sleep duration and efficiency is associated with lower amyloid burden and better cognition in older adults. The association between sleep efficiency variability and beta-amyloid was modified by APOE4 status, suggesting that consistent sleep may be protective against amyloid burden in APOE4 carriers.