Chronic lack of sleep may promote the development of Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.

The findings have implications for people suffering from insomnia and other sleep disorders, say scientists.

Researchers monitored levels of amyloid beta, a protein fragment known to be linked to Alzheimer's, in the brains of sleep-deprived mice with symptoms of the disease.

They found that preventing the mice from sleeping caused a 25% increase in amyloid beta levels. The peptide builds up in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers to form damaging plaques.

Amyloid beta levels were generally higher when mice were active than when they were sleeping. Animals that stayed awake longer had higher amounts of the peptide.

Separate research linked the finding to humans, showing that amyloid beta levels in the spinal fluid of volunteers increased when they were awake and lowered during sleep.

Professor David Holtzman, from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St Louis, US, where both studies were carried out, said: “The results... suggest that we may need to prioritise treating sleep disorders not only for their many acute effects, but also for potential long-term impacts on brain health.”

Three weeks of chronic sleep deprivation was enough to accelerate amyloid plaque deposition in the brains of the mice.

Further studies were under consideration to see whether chronic sleep loss in younger adults increased the risk of Alzheimer's later in life.