'Vicious Cycle' Between Alzheimer's Dementia and Daytime Napping Found by Scientists

The researchers also suggested that future studies should try and determine whether "direct intervention in daytime napping" can decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia or cognitive decline.

A new study conducted by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital has uncovered a potential link between cognitive ageing and daytime napping.

According to a news release made by the hospital, the study established that not only excessive daytime napping “predicted an increased future risk of Alzheimer’s dementia”, but that a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia “sped up the increase in daytime napping during ageing."

"Our results not only suggest that excessive daytime napping may signal an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s dementia, but they also show that faster yearly increase in daytime napping may be a sign of deteriorating or unfavored clinical progression of the disease," said Peng Li, PhD, one of the authors of the new research. "Our study calls for a closer attention to 24-hour sleep patterns — not only nighttime sleep but also daytime sleep — for health monitoring in older adults."

During the course of this new cohort study, the researchers discovered a "bidirectional, longitudinal relationship between daytime sleep and Alzheimer’s dementia."

"The vicious cycle we observed between daytime sleep and Alzheimer’s disease offers a basis for better understanding the role of sleep in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults," said Li.

The researchers also argued that future studies should try and determine whether "direct intervention in daytime napping" can decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia or cognitive decline.