Repeated sleep-medication reporting patterns and cognitive change in HRS and SHARE

Repeated self-reports of sleep-medication use across consecutive survey waves in adults aged 50+ are linked to modestly faster global cognition and memory decline in HRS and SHARE.

• Why it matters: Sleep-medication use and cognitive aging may co-evolve with sleep problems, mood, and treatment changes, so repeated reporting patterns could clarify inconsistent prior findings.
• What they did: Using linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts and slopes, the study analyzed HRS (n=16,323 baseline; n=13,915 two-wave; n=12,310 three-wave) and SHARE (n=41,453 baseline; n=29,214 two-wave; n=24,692 three-wave) to model cognition from baseline and from landmark visits.
• The result: Baseline use predicts faster decline in global cognition (HRS beta=-0.0060 SD/year; SHARE beta=-0.0034 SD/year) and memory (HRS beta=-0.0062 SD/year; SHARE beta=-0.0037 SD/year), implying repeated reporting may track cognitive aging trajectories.

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