The habit of frequently tossing and turning in your sleep may be associated with a deterioration in cognitive abilities, as shown by research conducted by scientists from the University of California in a special experiment.

As the journal Neurology notes, more than 500 people participated in this study. Volunteers were asked to list as many animal names as possible starting with the same letter.

At the same time, the researchers analyzed their health, including sleep quality and frequency of sleep movements. It turned out that those who slept restlessly and frequently changed their body position were two and a half times more likely to show poor results in tests of cognitive abilities compared to other participants.

Scientists conclude that restless sleep prevents the brain from getting rid of toxic proteins that can stimulate the development of Alzheimer’s disease.