Scientists have long known that poor sleep and Alzheimer’s risk are connected, but a new study from Edith Cowan University suggests the picture is much more complex. The research was completed by ECU’s Centre for Precision Health and published online in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. These findings suggest that not everyone responds to poor sleep in the same way. Two people could have similar ages, lifestyles, and medical histories but experience different rates of brain aging because their genes influence how the brain responds to sleep loss. Clinical trials will also need to test whether improving sleep can reduce the extra risk linked to certain genetic variants.