Everyone has at least minor memory glitches, but there’s no question you may experience more of them as you get older. That’s because as we age, nerve cells in the brain naturally begin to communicate less effectively with each other. This can make it harder to store and retrieve information. Although those brain slips are plenty annoying, they’re normal and usually no reason to be concerned that you may have dementia. Treatable issues like many vision problems or insomnia can also affect memory, and it may be as simple as the medications you’re taking or that you need to get your hearing evaluated. However, the risk of Alzheimer’s disease does rise with age. While definitive numbers are hard to come by, it’s estimated that in 2016, 10 percent of U.S. adults ages 65 and older had some level of dementia, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Neurology in 2022. In addition, some people may have what’s known as mild cognitive impairment, or MCI—which means you have more memory issues than others your age but they’re less severe than those of dementia. And while MCI is a possible precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, it can also be the result of correctable or manageable problems like diabetes, depression, or a head injury, according to the National Institutes of Health.
So, how do you know whether your memory slips are normal or not? One key factor that separates ordinary forgetfulness from more worrisome memory loss is frequency. For example, overlooking a bill payment once or twice a year is no reason for unease, but multiple bills going unpaid every month may be. Likewise, forgetting a word from time to time is a typical part of aging. But if you often can’t hold a conversation because you’ve lost your train of thought, it’s not. Also concerning are increasing difficulty with activities that used to be easy, like following a simple recipe or getting to a familiar location. And while we all misplace items at least occasionally, pay special attention if it has become the norm to never find them again or if you’ve put them in an unusual spot—like placing a book inside the refrigerator. Do any of those things sound familiar? Your doctor can do a brief check of your cognition and refer you to a neurologist for more comprehensive testing, if necessary. But keep in mind that this doesn’t mean you have a problem that can’t be resolved. Even if you’re told that you have early-stage dementia, and while there’s no cure, certain medications may slow it down.
There’s also increasing evidence that a healthy diet, regular exercise, and brain-challenging activities may help. The same holds true if you’re at higher risk for cognitive problems down the road; for instance, if you have untreated high blood pressure or a family history of early dementia. In fact, even if your memory is still sharp as a tack, more research suggests that certain lifestyle steps may help keep it that way. What can help keep your memory in good shape, and maybe even improve it a bit? Healthy living basics—key issues are managing your blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight; avoiding tobacco smoke; and staying up to date on vaccines.
A few other issues may provide an additional helping hand.
Check Your Meds, for a number of prescription and over-the-counter drugs can hamper memory. For instance, regularly using meds known as anticholinergics interferes with the brain’s ability to encode memories.
Anticholinergics—which have also been linked to dementia—include OTC allergy drugs such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl and generic), as well as some prescription urinary incontinence meds like oxybutynin (Oxytrol and generic), and ipratropium (Atrovent and generic) for easing asthma.
Other drugs that are known to impede memory include benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium and generic), older antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil and generic), narcotics such as oxycodone (OxyContin and generic), and some sleep aids (see “Why Good Sleep Matters,” below). To avoid drug-related memory issues, at least once a year have your doctor or pharmacist review all the medications that you regularly use. This should include any dietary supplements and other OTC products you take. If you or your doctor suspect that a medication may be affecting your cognition, talk about alternatives.
Take Care of Your Eyes and Ears. Poor vision and hearing can have negative effects on memory and may even make people more susceptible to dementia. Vision impairment, for instance, plays a role in up to 19 percent of cases of dementia, according to a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology in 2024. One likely reason for this is that people with vision loss may avoid social situations. Getting together with other people not only stimulates the brain but also helps to reduce dementia risks. If you have difficulty hearing, you may also become more socially isolated. In addition, your brain has to work harder to make sense of the words and conversations you’re listening to. As a result, you have less brainpower to help with thinking and memory. To head off those issues, it’s important to get your vision and hearing checked as recommended. That means going for an eye exam every year or two after the age of 65, as the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends. And have a hearing test every three years, as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association advises for adults over age 50—or more often if you’re at higher risk for hearing loss. Don’t put off updating your eye-glass prescription or getting hearing aids if you need them; both may help maintain memory. For instance, a 2023 study published in The Lancet found that when people at higher risk for dementia used hearing aids, their rate of cognitive decline dropped by almost 50 percent over three years.
Why Good Sleep Matters. One lousy night’s sleep can leave you feeling foggy the next day. And according to some research, occasional sleeplessness can even impair some people’s working memory (information you hold on to only briefly, like the numbers you may add together in your head while trying to divide a restaurant check with friends). Long-term insomnia appears to have even more significant effects on memory. That may be due to two important roles played by sleep. During slumber, we consolidate memories—which means placing new ones into long-term storage—and rid our brains of “waste” material that may increase the risk of serious cognitive issues years later. But getting too much sleep can also cause problems. A study published in JAMA Neurology in 2021 found that sleeping 6 or fewer hours or 9 or more hours a night was associated with a higher risk of cognitive issues. Experts advise striving for 7 to no more than 9 hours of nighttime slumber. If you need to nap, do it in the early afternoon and keep it to 30 minutes so that it doesn’t leave you wide-eyed in the middle of the night. Struggling to get the optimal amount of shut-eye? Consider asking your doctor whether you’d benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, which is considered the most effective treatment for sleeplessness. It’s also wise to see a sleep specialist, who can assess you for medical conditions that may be interfering with getting your rest, such as obstructive sleep apnea. And if you’re regularly using sleep meds to help you drift off, that’s a bad habit that should be stopped. Moreover, sleep drugs may increase the risk of falls and car accidents, and some research suggests that over time, they may make you more vulnerable to cognitive problems. For instance, one large study published in 2021 in the journal Sleep Medicine found that for people on Medicare, routinely using sleep drugs was associated with dementia.
Eat Brain-Friendly Foods. There’s no one superfood that’s guaranteed to boost your brainpower. But plant-based diets that focus on whole, unprocessed food seem to be most protective against dementia. And research backs this up, for 2024 study published in the journal Annals of Neurology disclosed that the MIND diet, which is rich in produce, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, poultry, and healthy fats, slows brain aging. (You can get more MIND diet information, including recipes, at theofficialminddiet.com.) Actually, you don’t have to follow a specific plan. If you focus on a heart-healthy diet and avoid junk food, you’re in good shape. In general, eat plenty of berries, leafy green vegetables, avocado, nuts, and fatty fish, like salmon, which increase levels of a substance called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. You may want to include fermented foods such as Greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, kefir, and sauerkraut in your diet as well. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition in 2023 found that people who regularly put those kinds of foods on their dinner plates were less likely to go on to develop dementia. And if you’re a coffee or tea drinker, go right ahead and enjoy your brew of choice, hot or iced. People who sip two to three cups of coffee plus two to three cups of tea a day have about a 28 percent lower risk of dementia, according to a 2021 review of dietary records. Bonus: Researchers found that this was also associated with a 32 percent lower risk of stroke. But experts say it’s smart to limit alcohol to no more than a drink a day. More than that is associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to a 2023 study published in JAMA Network Open. And if you smoke, work at quitting. The habit is bad for your memory.
The Right Exercise. Heart-pumping activity is certainly good for your cardiovascular health. But years of research, such as a 2024 study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, suggests it’s beneficial for your brain, too. Physical activity may also have more immediate brain benefits. In the study mentioned above, people between the ages of 50 and 83 who did an additional 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise—such as brisk walking or dancing—on a given day performed better on memory tests they took a full 24 hours later. Activities like dancing, in particular, may offer more memory-maintaining bang for your buck. That’s because they require you to use both your body and your brain—the latter to remember dance moves. A review of 12 studies published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology in 2022 found that, in older individuals, dancing significantly improved cognitive function, memory, and attention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get 150 weekly minutes of activities like those above. But any amount of movement is better than none. Even getting outdoors to take your dog for a walk is wonderful. You don’t have to get your heart rate up to sky-high levels to see benefits. A case in point: A 2024 study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that middle-aged adults who said they’d been physically active in the prior 3.5 hours had the mental processing speed—how fast the brain receives, understands, and responds to information—of someone four years younger. And it didn’t matter whether their activities were high-intensity (say, running) or lower (doing light chores around the house). Exercises that help maintain or build strength are also key. A 2024 paper published in Ageing Research Reviews concluded that regular resistance exercise appeared to protect memory-related brain structures in older adults. To get such benefits, try to do some resistance moves at least twice a week. You don’t have to lift big, heavy weights to reap rewards. Using resistance bands, doing body weight exercises like squats and wall pushups, and even carrying groceries or digging and lifting while gardening all count.
Do Something Different. Novel activities appear to bring more memory bonuses than familiar ones, say experts. The best way to keep your brain active is to constantly try new things. Crossword puzzles exercise your brain, but when you do them, your brain is just retrieving most information that it already knows. In addition, you want to teach it new things. But what? Enrolling in a language class or taking up a new instrument is certainly good for cognition, as are many other activities, like doing art of any kind, singing in a choir, taking pictures, and quilting. But if those kinds of hobbies don’t appeal to you, just do at least one of your regular activities a different way each day. It can be as simple as driving a different route to the supermarket, which forces your brain to work harder than using the same streets you always do. Or try a recipe you’ve never put together before. Just the act of making a list of what you need, and then following the steps to make the dish, stimulates all parts of your brain. The key is to settle on something that’s somewhat challenging but not too hard. If an activity is too easy, it won’t stimulate your brain’s neural circuits, but if it’s too difficult, you’ll likely get frustrated and give up. And for those moments when you have the urge for a low-effort, relaxing activity, don’t underestimate the power of reading or listening to music. Both pastimes appear to boost cognitive function, while watching TV lowers it, according to a study published in 2024 in the Journal of Gerontology.
Spend Time with Others. Socializing with friends, family, and even casual acquaintances—such as people you may meet at a book club or place of worship—is one of the most effective (and enjoyable) ways to keep your memory sharp. It can also reduce the likelihood of serious cognitive issues down the line. Research including a 2024 study published in the journal Innovation in Aging confirms this. That study found that social interactions significantly improved executive function (which helps you make plans and decisions and solve problems) in older adults. And a report published in the journal Nature Aging in 2023 found that people who are very socially active in midlife and beyond have a 30 to 50 percent lower risk of developing dementia. You don’t need to attend parties several nights a week to get those memory-preserving benefits. Simple activities, such as talking, taking a walk, or playing board or card games with friends, will do. In fact, games like those may be especially beneficial because they give your brain a workout. People in their 70s who played analog games with others had less decline in memory and cognitive speed than those who didn’t, according to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Gerontology: If you like board and card games, try not to play the same ones all the time. Mixing them up means you’ll have to learn and remember new rules and strategies, which are beneficial for your brain. Can online get-togethers also be good for your memory? Yes, but when you see someone in person, you’re more focused on their body language, which keeps your brain active.
Should You Try a Supplement? In recent years, you’ve probably seen numerous advertisements for Prevagen, a jellyfish-derived supplement that its manufacturer claims will improve age-related memory loss. But now, after losing a seven-year lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission, the makers of this product are no longer allowed to make that assertion. So, don’t fall for it! But what about all the other supplements on drugstore shelves marketed for increasing brainpower and improving memory? No supplement has ever been proven to prevent, treat, or cure Alzheimer’s disease, or boost cognitive function or brain health. One dietary supplement that may offer some brain benefits is vitamin D, but only if you’re low in the nutrient. A 2024 review published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that people who were deficient in vitamin D were at 42 percent greater risk of developing dementia. If you have healthy D levels, supplementing won’t make a difference. Therefore, check with your caregiver to check you blood level of this vitamin, if this is not already done.
How Stress Affects Memory. A little stress may actually help you create stronger memories, some new research suggests. But chronic stress can do the opposite. That’s because it may shrink the brain’s memory center and make it harder to retrieve the information stored there. Unfortunately, you can’t avoid all stress, meaning there is no simple way to avoid it. Possibly one may try taking several short, stress-subduing breaks, possibly walks, throughout the day. Or spending time in nature and doing meditative exercises like tai chi and yoga can also reduce stress. Tai chi, in particular, has been shown to have brain benefits. A 2024 pooled analysis found that it improved executive function (the ability to make decisions), long-term memory, and overall cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
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