Some 90-year-olds read voraciously and still beat you at Scrabble. Some 50-year-olds can’t remember where they put their keys. Brain aging does not follow the calendar exactly, and a few habits and signals have research linking them to how well the brain holds up. Here is what that research shows, and where it falls short.
Habits and signals: what the research shows
You feel younger than your age. Your “subjective age” is how old you feel. A 2023 meta-analysis of 107 studies, with adults whose median age was 66, found that feeling younger (and holding more positive views of aging) predicted better health and longer life over time. The effect was small but consistent.[1] That review looked at general health and longevity, not brain aging specifically. These were observational studies, so feeling young may be a marker of good health as much as a cause of it.
You speak more than one language. The evidence here is mixed. In a study that followed 200 adults aged 19 to 79 for an average of 3.6 years, bilingual people had more gray matter in the inferior parietal lobule, a region involved in language and attention. But the gray matter in one part of that region (the left side) declined faster in bilingual people than in monolingual people. The authors suggest bilingualism may build brain reserve, and note that time has to be part of the analysis.[2] Learning a language is still a worthwhile challenge for your brain, but this study does not show it prevents decline.
You practice meditation. In a re-analysis of 50 long-term meditators and 50 matched non-meditators, a machine-learning model estimated the meditators’ brains to be about 7.5 years younger at age 50. The gap grew slightly with each additional year of age.[3] This was a cross-sectional comparison of a small group, so it cannot show that meditation caused the difference.
A signal worth checking: poor or disrupted sleep
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 long-term studies (246,786 people, average follow-up about 9.5 years; literature search through October 2016) found that people who reported sleep problems had a higher risk of later dementia. Sleep-disordered breathing, which includes sleep apnea, was linked to higher risk of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia. Insomnia was linked only to Alzheimer’s disease, not to vascular or all-cause dementia. The authors note that most sleep data came from self-reports and that other factors could explain part of the link. It is also possible that sleep problems are an early symptom of dementia rather than a cause.[4]
Obstructive sleep apnea may also show up in brain scans. In a small study of 17 untreated patients and 15 healthy adults, those with sleep apnea had less gray matter in the left hippocampus, a region central to memory, along with weaker memory, attention, and executive function. After 3 months of treatment, their cognitive scores improved and gray matter volume increased in the hippocampus and frontal areas.[5] The study had no untreated comparison group for the 3-month change, so practice effects and other factors cannot be ruled out. If you snore loudly, wake up gasping, or feel unrefreshed after a full night, ask your doctor about a sleep study.
The takeaway
Brain age is not fixed by your birth certificate, but no single sign settles it. The cited studies link bilingualism and meditation to differences in brain measures, but they cannot show that learning a language or meditating protects the brain. The sleep evidence is stronger, so treat sleep problems as a health issue worth checking. Most of these findings are associations, so use them as reasons to build good habits, not as a test you can pass or fail. Brain-age scores and MRI gray-matter measures are research tools, not clinical tests. If you notice memory problems or changes in your thinking, see a clinician.
References
↑︎ Westerhof GJ, Nehrkorn-Bailey AM, Tseng HY, et al. Longitudinal effects of subjective aging on health and longevity: an updated meta-analysis. Psychol Aging. 2023;38(3):147-166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000737
↑︎ Peitz K, Stumme J, Jockwitz C, Bittner N, Caspers S, Heim S. The influence of bilingualism on gray matter volume in the course of aging: a longitudinal study. Front Aging Neurosci. 2023;15:1193283. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1193283
↑︎ Luders E, Cherbuin N, Gaser C. Estimating brain age using high-resolution pattern recognition: younger brains in long-term meditation practitioners. Neuroimage. 2016;134:508-513. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.04.007
↑︎ Shi L, Chen SJ, Ma MY, et al. Sleep disturbances increase the risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2018;40:4-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2017.06.010
↑︎ Canessa N, Castronovo V, Cappa SF, et al. Obstructive sleep apnea: brain structural changes and neurocognitive function before and after treatment. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011;183(10):1419-1426. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201005-0693OC
Kurt Greiner
Kurt is a digital strategist and IT professional blending emerging technology with practical application to help businesses and individuals streamline their digital presence. His current work focuses on the intersection of intentional living and technological resilience, exploring how individuals can leverage modern tools to navigate the second half of life with purpose.
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