(FOXNEWS) — Disrupted sleep was linked to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s in a new study by US scientists.

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that the brains of people with poor sleep patterns have a greater build-up of amyloid plaque — clumps of protein that are a key marker of Alzheimer’s.

The team monitored the sleep patterns of 100 healthy volunteers aged between 45 and 80, half who had a family history of Alzheimer’s, for 14 nights.

They found that those who woke more than five times an hour, and participants who spent less than 85 percent of their time in bed actually sleeping, were more likely to have amyloid plaque build-up in their brains than those who did not wake up as much.

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