According to a study, taking long naps could be a sign of Alzheimer's disease.
The findings could help resolve the conflicting results of the effects of napping on cognitive function in older adults.
The latest study shows that an increase in naps is linked to a higher chance of Alzheimer's.
The scientists think that excessive napping could be an early warning sign, rather than a sign of mental decline.
If you didn't take it, it might be a sign of accelerated aging.
Over several years, the scientists tracked more than 1,000 people, with an average age of 81. The participants wore a device to track their mobility for up to 14 days. From 9am to 7pm, each period was interpreted as a nap.
Each year, the participants underwent tests to evaluate their cognitive abilities. At the beginning of the study, 70% of participants had no cognitive impairment, 20% had mild cognitive impairment and 4% had Alzheimer's disease.
Daily daytime napping increased by an average of 11 minutes a year for participants who did not develop cognitive impairment. 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.
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.
Those with Alzheimer's disease have fewer specialist neurons that promote wakefulness.
The link with napping remained even when night-time sleep was taken into account, suggesting that the role of daytime napping is important itself.
The authors said that if you feel increasingly sleepy during the day it could be a sign that changes are happening in the brain that leads to dementia.
There was no obvious biological mechanism by which napping could cause Alzheimer's, so it was not possible to rule it out.
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