Middle-aged people not getting enough sleep are less likely to see the benefits of exercise when comes to protecting against decline in skills such as memory and thinking, scientists have said. Researchers from University College London (UCL) found that those in their 50s and 60s who performed regular physical activities but slept less than six hours a night had a faster decline in these skills overall. The team found that after a decade, their cognitive functions – such as attention, memory and learning – were the same as those who did less physical activity. The researchers said their study, published in journal The Lancet Healthy Longevity, highlights the need for sleep to protect against cognitive decline as people get older. Lead author Dr Mikaela Bloomberg, of UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, said: “Our study suggests that getting sufficient sleep may be required for us to get the full cognitive benefits of physical activity. “It shows how important it is to consider sleep and physical activity together when thinking about cognitive health. “Previous studies examining how sleep and physical activity might combine to affect cognitive function have primarily been cross-sectional – only focusing on a snapshot in time – and we were surprised that regular physical activity may not always be sufficient to counter the long-term effects of lack of sleep on cognitive health.” The World Health Organisation already identifies physical activity as a way to maintain cognitive function, but interventions should also consider sleep habits to maximise long-term benefits for cognitive health Prof Andrew Steptoe For the study, the team looked at data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Elsa) from nearly 9,000 people aged 50 and over. Their cognitive function was assessed over a period of 10 years with various memory and verbal fluency tests. Questionnaires were also used to assess how long they slept and whether this was less or more than six hours. People were also asked about their levels of physical activity. At the start of the study, those who were more physically active also had better cognitive function regardless of how long they slept. However, this changed over the 10-year period, with more physically active short sleepers in their 50s and 60s experiencing more rapid cognitive decline, the researchers said. But for people aged 70 and over, the benefits of exercise on cognitive function were maintained, despite short sleep, the team added. Co-author professor Andrew Steptoe, of UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, said: “It is important to identify the factors that can protect cognitive function in middle and later life as they can serve to prolong our cognitively healthy years and, for some people, delay a dementia diagnosis. “The World Health Organisation already identifies physical activity as a way to maintain cognitive function, but interventions should also consider sleep habits to maximise long-term benefits for cognitive health.” Read More 8 best kids’ bunk beds that are fun and functional Nurture your health and wellbeing this season The best holidays to book for August, from beach breaks in Portugal to stays on an Italian lake More travelers get cozy with glamping, even amid high costs People who sleep very late may die earlier due to unhealthy habits, study says

There was a period in the 2010s when personality quizzes were inescapable. Like One Direction’s boppy tunes, their presence was widespread. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator’s 16 personalities, Buzzfeed’s endless Disney character quizzes, and the re-emergence of love languages allowed us to neatly label our dispositions with catchy names.

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The Duchess of York will make her debut on ITV’s Loose Women to launch a breast cancer awareness campaign following her treatment for the illness earlier this year. Sarah Ferguson underwent an eight-hour single mastectomy operation after discovering she had an early form of breast cancer during a routine mammogram. The special episode, billed as Ferguson’s first TV appearance since revealing her diagnosis, will launch its “Don’t Skip Your Screening” campaign to highlight the importance of being checked for cancer. The duchess will join presenters Christine Lampard, Coleen Nolan and Brenda Edwards on the show’s panel to discuss the campaign and her own experiences since being diagnosed with breast cancer. Ahead of the show on Thursday (2 November), Ferguson revealed she nearly skipped the screening appointment “that saved my life” adding that her cancer journey “underlines the importance of getting screened” regularly. “I couldn’t face a journey into London on a hot day this summer and it was only my sister Jane’s insistence that I went, that persuaded me,” the mother-of-two said. “My cancer was completely symptom-free – I never found a lump and did not feel ill.” Doctors noticed a “shadow” in one of her breasts during the screening in May, which was later diagnosed as cancer. Ferguson added that she is “proud” to support the campaign, which is being backed by NHS England, to encourage other women to attend the appointments when they are invited. In July, Ferguson confirmed she underwent an eight-hour-long single mastectomy, adding that the diagnosis was “scary” for her daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, during an episode of her podcast Tea Talks. She said: “I think it’s scary for any family member out there, you really start looking at your own demise. It’s a wake up call, and you think, right okay, how am I going to deal with this?” Ferguson also advised her listeners to “do the screening, catch it quick”, while thanking the medical professionals at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London for their care and treatment. Earlier this year, Ferguson also explained how the mastectomy helped her overcome the “self-hatred that stemmed from years of being compared to Diana. During a separate episode of her podcast, Ferguson suggested she had to have a “body part cut off” before she could “wake up”. She told her co-host, Sarah Thompson: “Not because of seeing death, but waking up to stop worrying, stop self-hatred, stop self-doubt, stop all these things. Stop not liking yourself, really, please, honestly. “Does it take that?... Yes, it did in my case,” Ferguson continued. “[I] didn’t like myself and that was because I think I was always compared to Diana and I think at the end I sort of believed my own press which is not too good.” Charity Breast Cancer Now said it is “extremely grateful” that the show is “shining a bright spotlight on breast screening” and “highlighting the important issue of tackling the shortfall in women having breast screening caused by the Covid-19 pandemic”. In a statement, it added: “Breast screening is a vital tool in helping to detect breast cancer at the earliest possible stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful. “We encourage all women to attend breast screening appointments when invited and to regularly check their breasts, reporting any unusual changes to their GP as soon as possible.” The duchess will join the panel on Loose Women on 2 November from 12:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Read More Sarah Ferguson shares heartfelt tribute to Matthew Perry following his death Doctor highlights most commonly misdiagnosed health conditions in women Mom explains how to ‘raise your baby like it’s your third’ Doctor highlights most commonly misdiagnosed health conditions in women Mom explains how to ‘raise your baby like it’s your third’ ‘It was terrifying’: All the things Jada Smith Pinkett has said about her alopecia

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