Excessive napping is a sign of dementia? More than 1 hour increases the risk by 40%

A research team from Wuhu Fourth People's Hospital in Anhui Province, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Shanghai Mental Health Center conducted a survey in seven cities in China and found that people who take regular naps may have better mental agility than those who do not have the habit of taking naps.

However......

Too much or too long naps can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease in the future; and Alzheimer's disease causes patients to take excessive daytime naps.

In a 14-year follow-up of a group of volunteers, researchers found that for adults without cognitive impairment, nap time increased by an average of 11 minutes per year.

However, people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment doubled their nap time to 24 minutes per day.

Those diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease nearly tripled their napping time, to an average of 68 minutes per day.

Through further analysis, the researchers found that nap duration and frequency were positively correlated with age, and found a bidirectional longitudinal association between napping and Alzheimer's disease.

Older people who take a nap at least once a day or take a nap for more than an hour a day have a 40% higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than those who take a nap for less than an hour a day.

So how long is the appropriate amount of sleep?

The researchers suggest it's best to limit naps to 15 to 20 minutes before 3 p.m. to get the most health benefits of naps and prevent damage to nighttime sleep.

doi.org/10.1002/alz.12636