According to a new study by UC San Francisco, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, getting too much sleep during the day could be a sign of Alzheimer’s Disease or some other form of dementia. For 14 years, researchers studied 1,401 seniors who had annual cognitive testing and wore a watchlike device that monitored their mobility. Although some napping is normal for older adults, the study found that daytime naps of longer than one hour were associated with a 40% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s compared with those who napped less. The study also found that the average duration of daytime naps increased with age for everyone, including healthy adults. However, it doubled after a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and nearly tripled after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, May 2022, page 15). Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this horrible disease when they passed away. There is a wonderful group of people at the Monterey Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch who can help you through this painful journey. They also have a 24-hour hotline at 800-272-3900.
