Middle-aged people ‘need sleep to see mental health benefits of exercise’

Researchers find physically active short sleepers in their 50s and 60s suffer cognitive decline as fast as those who do less exercise

Middle-aged people not getting enough sleep are less likely to see the benefits of exercise when it comes to protecting against a 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.