Frequent daytime napping among older adults may significantly increase the risk of developing dementia, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Frequent daytime napping in older adults has been associated with a heightened risk of developing dementia, according to a study published in The Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health tracked nearly 1,000 adults aged 65 and older who exhibited no signs of memory or cognitive issues when the study commenced in 2013. A decade later, the researchers found that daily napping habits—including frequency, duration, and whether the naps were intentional—are linked to long-term brain health.
The study revealed that participants who napped frequently, defined as most days or every day, had a 48% increased risk of developing dementia compared to those who rarely or never napped. The nature of the naps also played a significant role. Seniors who fell asleep unintentionally had a 39% higher risk, while shorter naps were linked to poorer outcomes. Specifically, napping for 30 minutes or less was associated with a 40% increased risk of dementia, even after adjusting for other health factors. For naps exceeding 30 minutes, the connection was less pronounced after accounting for nighttime sleep patterns.
Researchers emphasized that examining daytime napping habits provides a clearer picture of overall health than focusing solely on nighttime sleep. “Our study highlights the importance of looking beyond just how long people nap and considering other napping characteristics, such as how frequently they nap and whether their naps are intentional,” said Adam Spira, Ph.D., a professor at the Bloomberg School, and Kening Jiang, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow.
The findings remained consistent even after accounting for nighttime sleep length, daytime drowsiness, and indicators of sleep apnea. “Nighttime sleep and daytime napping are closely related,” Spira and Jiang noted. “Daytime napping may compensate for poor nighttime sleep, but it may also reduce the drive to sleep at night, potentially contributing to nighttime sleep disturbances, another important potential risk factor for dementia.”
Researchers pointed out that daytime napping does not necessarily cause brain changes. Instead, alterations in napping habits could serve as early warning signs of underlying changes in the brain. They explained that brain regions responsible for regulating wakefulness may begin to deteriorate in the early stages of dementia, leading to increased daytime fatigue.
To validate their findings, the research team re-analyzed the data after excluding participants who developed dementia within the first five years of the study. The link between frequent, accidental naps and dementia remained robust, suggesting that changes in napping habits can manifest years before a formal diagnosis.
While the researchers acknowledged that this was an observational study with inherent limitations, they emphasized the need for further investigation. “We did not directly intervene on participants’ napping behaviors to examine whether changing these behaviors would affect their dementia risk,” Spira and Jiang stated.
“Although we don’t know whether napping causes dementia, our study findings suggest that daytime napping patterns may be useful indicators of future dementia risk,” they added. The researchers concluded that monitoring daytime napping patterns in older adults could be beneficial, particularly when naps become more frequent or occur unintentionally, as these changes may signal an increased risk of cognitive decline.
These findings underscore the importance of understanding the relationship between sleep habits and brain health, particularly in older adults. As the population ages, identifying potential risk factors for dementia becomes increasingly crucial for public health.
According to Fox News, the study provides valuable insights into how seemingly harmless daily habits, like napping, can have significant implications for cognitive health in later life.