Age and illnesses such as dementia often make people more forgetful, but studies show personal habits can also help trigger memory loss.

Here are eight habits to avoid if you want to keep your memory sharp:

1. Drinking alcohol in excess. According to The Huffington Post, the effects of booze consumption on memory as one ages were illustrated by a recent British study conducted over a decade of the drinking habits of 5,054 men between the ages of 34 and 59, followed by an assessment over the following decade of their memories and reasoning skill. The study found those who drank more than two and a half drinks per day experienced memory loss and cognitive problems up to six years sooner than those who drank more moderately.

2. Not getting enough sleep. A lack of sufficient sleep leaves body cells unable to obtain the nutrients, oxygen and energy necessary for them to function, which negatively affects your memory sooner or later.

3. Smoking. Several studies have found a link between smoking and brain cell death. Nicotine and the other 42 carcinogens present in most cigarettes are responsible for the death of the brain cells, which ultimately results in poor memory, reports Study Habits.

4. Eating fatty foods. According to The Huffington Post, a 2009 University of Cambridge study found that rats who consumed a high-fat diet took 25 percent longer time to complete a maze than when they consumed a normal diet, suggesting that a high-fat diet can impair cognitive function.

5. Being sedentary. Exercise is important for your brain's health because it alters the volume of the hippocampus, the part of the brain that's responsible for memory formation, according to Study Habits. Avoiding exercise consequently keeps that from happening.

6. Covering the head while sleeping. People who cover their head with their blanket or pillow during sleep may be raising carbon dioxide levels, which can reduce the levels of oxygen required by the brain and may harmfully affect brain activity if done regularly.

7. Working while ill. Anyone who suffers from a cold or other illness that has weakened their body needs plenty of rest. If that person continues to work persistently, the extra effort required to operate his or her brain will ultimately trigger a noteworthy reduction in its effectiveness and the long-term worsening of its functions.

8. Taking prescription drugs. Memory loss has been attributed to commonly prescribed prescription drugs used to treat depression, high cholesterol, hypertension, insomnia and anxiety disorders, according to Medical Daily.

(Source: http://www.newsmax.com)