Objective: To explore the influence of healthy lifestyles on cognitive function in the elderly population in China, and to provide a reference basis for the prevention and management of cognitive impairment. Methods: Based on cross-sectional data from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), research subjects with samples below 60 years old and missing key variables were excluded. Ultimately, 8,687 elderly people were included. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were performed using SPSS 27.0 software. A restricted cubic spline model was constructed to analyze the dose-response relationship between healthy lifestyles and cognitive impairment. Results: Among the participants, 2072 individuals (23.85%) were identified with cognitive impairment. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for covariates, lack of exercise, low social participation, abnormal sleep duration, and unhealthy diet, were all risk factors for cognitive impairment in older adults. A linear dose-response relationship was observed between the number of healthy lifestyles practiced by the elderly and cognitive impairment (Poverall < 0.0001, Pnon-linearity = 0.7318). Conclusion: Healthy lifestyles of the elderly are closely related to their cognitive function. Encouraging the elderly to change unhealthy lifestyles and increase the number of healthy lifestyles can effectively improve their cognitive function. This finding provides an important basis for formulating targeted health intervention strategies, emphasizing that appropriate measures should be taken to carry out multidimensional education on healthy lifestyles among the elderly, so as to prevent and delay the progression of cognitive impairment.