CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Everyone loves a good nap. But is there a chance they could be bad for you?
THE QUESTION
If older adults regularly nap for more than an hour a day, could they be at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease?
OUR SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, if older adults regularly nap for more than an hour a day, they could be at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.
WHAT WE FOUND
In the study, researchers tracked data from 1,401 seniors for 14 years by the Rush Memory and Aging Project at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago. The participants, whose average age was 81, wore a device that tracked mobility. Each prolonged period of non-activity from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. was interpreted as a nap.
At the start of the study, just under 75.7% of participants had no cognitive impairment, 19.5% had mild cognitive impairment, and 4.1% had Alzheimer’s disease.
“What they found was, as they got older, if they were going to develop Alzheimer's, their sleep pattern of napping deteriorated more dramatically. So they tended to sleep more, or they tended to have more naps, and they tended to have longer naps," Dr. Reiss said.
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After six years, 24% of participants who had normal cognition at the start of the study, developed Alzheimer’s. The study found participants who napped more than an hour a day had a 40% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
“I have seen in many of my patients with Alzheimer’s disease that do start to sleep more and they do tend to nap more during the day as their cognition declines,” Dr. Wint said.
Dr. Wint said it's important that people not panic over the findings. He said what matters more is why an individual might be napping for longer periods of time during the day. He said there’s a chance it could simply be due to an undiagnosed sleeping disorder.
“It really is important to let your doctor know if something is not right about your sleep because sleep is a key component of maintaining the health of the brain and the body," he said.
Dr. Wint said naps could even be out of boredom. He said if that's the case, find more activities in your day to stimulate you.
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Dr. Reiss said continuing to live a healthy lifestyle could keep Alzheimer’s at bay.
“There are definitely things that I tell people about what to do before or if they know they're at risk or if the diagnosis is early. And those things involve a really good healthy diet, exercise, and social engagement," he said. "I mean, the basic things that you do to keep good heart health, which is so good for the brain and the circulation. To keep good diet, to keep your blood pressure under control, to nurture your brain, and give it a happy environment. I believe those things are very important.”
Researchers say more work needs to be done to determine whether lass napping could help slow down age-related cognitive decline.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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