Nearly half of dementia cases could be prevented. These 4 daily habits protect against cognitive decline

Keeping your brain healthy as you age doesn’t require a radical overhaul. Instead, experts say, it starts with how you sleep, how much you move and basic daily habits.

JoAnn Manson, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and physician at Mass General Brigham, tells Inc. that nearly 45 percent of dementia cases are preventable through lifestyle and behavior changes.

“It’s never too early or too late to change your risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia,” says Manson.

Make Consistent Sleep a Priority

Alberto Ramos, professor of clinical neurology and research director of the Sleep Disorders Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, tells Inc. that as people age, they often remain constantly “on the move” and sleep is relegated to the bottom of the priority list.

“For most adults, a healthy sleep routine includes seven to nine hours of sleep per night, consistent bedtimes and wake-up times, including on weekends, exposure to sunlight in the morning, regular physical activity during the day, and a period of relaxation before bed with minimal exposure to light and screens, ideally for at least an hour,” says Ramos.

This routine, he explains, gives the brain time to consolidate memory and eliminate toxins.

Jamie Zeitzer, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and co-director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at Stanford University, tells Inc. that seven hours is a sufficient, but not perfect, amount of sleep for most people.