Introduction and Context
The relationship between sleep, circadian rhythms and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has emerged as a major focus in aging research. Sleep disturbances are common in older adults and frequently precede cognitive decline and overt dementia. A growing body of observational and mechanistic work suggests a bidirectional relationship: neurodegenerative changes disturb sleep and circadian systems, and disturbed sleep may in turn accelerate pathophysiologic processes linked to AD. Yet progress has been hampered by highly variable methods across studies—different questionnaires, differing durations and processing of actigraphy, mixed use of polysomnography (PSG) and emerging wearables—making synthesis difficult and slowing translation.
To address this, the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Professional Interest Area of the International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment (ISTAART) convened international experts and used a modified Delphi process to produce research-focused consensus recommendations. The findings appear in André et al., “International recommendations for sleep and circadian research in aging and Alzheimer’s disease: A Delphi consensus study” (Alzheimers Dement. 2025) and set a pragmatic, research-oriented minimum standard for future work in the field [1].
