Long, restful sleep in the afternoon has been found to be associated with a higher risk of dementia.
Taking a long afternoon rest is pleasant and relaxing, but not always good for health, especially for the elderly. Those who indulge in restful sleep in the afternoon have a higher risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders . A recent study noted the link between long-lasting daytime sleep and higher dementia risk. The sleep patterns of 1065 elderly people around the age of 81 were measured by wearing sensors on their wrists for 14 days. Then some neuropsychological tests assessed their cognitive status.
Using clock -like devices , they were able to obtain important data. These were patients already enrolled in the Rush Memory and Aging Project monitoring program at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago. At the start, 812 participants had no cognitive impairment, 209 had a slight impairment of cognition, while 44 people were diagnosed with dementia.
Those who rested for 24 minutes showed mild cognitive impairment. Those who had rested 11 minutes were healthy, finally those who had slept 68 minutes instead reported diagnosed dementia. Therefore , anyone who sleeps more than one hour a day in the afternoon would have 40% more risk . The risk of developing a neurodegenerative disease compared to those who rest less.
- The afternoon nap? In the elderly it could favor the onset of dementia (ohga.it)
