Study links seniors’ daytime naps to Alzheimer’s disease

A new study finds daytime napping in seniors has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

The study found older adults who regularly nap for 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 they do start to sleep more, and they do tend to nap more during the day as their cognition declines, but I was surprised to see that napping actually, perhaps, promoted the appearance and the emergence of Alzheimer’s disease," said Dr. Dylan Wint, MD, with Cleveland Clinic.

Wint was not a part of the study, but says what matters more is why a person might be napping for longer periods of time during the day. It could be due to an undiagnosed sleeping disorder.

However, if someone does need to take a nap, make sure to keep it to 45 minutes or less.