Long Naps May Be Early Sign of Alzheimer's Disease, Study Shows

Taking long naps could be a precursor of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study that tracked the daytime sleeping habits of elderly people. The Guardian reports: The scientists think it is more likely that excessive napping could be an early warning sign, rather than it causing mental decline. The scientists tracked more than 1,000 people, with an average age of 81, over several years. Each year, the participants wore a watch-like device to track mobility for up to 14 days. Each prolonged period of non-activity from 9am to 7pm was interpreted as a nap. The participants also underwent tests to evaluate cognition each year. At the start of the study 76% of participants had no cognitive impairment, 20% had mild cognitive impairment and 4% had Alzheimer's disease. For participants who did not develop cognitive impairment, daily daytime napping increased by an average 11 minutes a year. The rate of increase doubled after a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment to a total of 24 minutes and nearly tripled to a total of 68 minutes after a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, according to the research published in the journal Alzheimer's and dementia. Overall, participants who napped more than an hour a day had a 40% higher risk of developing Alzheimer's than those who napped less than an hour a day; and participants who napped at least once a day had a 40% higher risk of developing Alzheimer's than those who napped less than once a day.

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