Frequent daytime naps linked to a 48% higher dementia risk in seniors
A new Johns Hopkins study finds that older adults who nap daily face a 48% greater chance of developing dementia over ten years.
A recent investigation by Johns Hopkins University reports that daily napping among people 65 and older is associated with a 48% increase in dementia risk over a ten-year period compared with those who rarely nap. The study highlights that both the frequency and the spontaneity of naps matter, with unplanned naps raising risk by 39% and naps shorter than half an hour adding a 40% increase. Participants who napped frequently also showed higher body-mass indexes, more chronic illnesses, and greater depressive symptoms, and were more often men.
Researchers suggest that frequent napping may reflect early brain changes rather than cause them, a view supported by analyses that removed early-diagnosed dementia cases yet still found the same pattern. The findings propose that monitoring nap habits could help identify individuals at elevated risk and potentially guide preventive strategies, though causality remains unproven.
