Excessive Napping Linked to Cognitive Decline in Older Men

A 12-year study by University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researchers published in Alzheimer's & Dementia found excessive napping by older men could signify age-related cognitive decline, reports UCSF News . The team employed sensors to track sleep-wake habits over five days in nearly 3,000 men older than 65 based in community housing, with follow-up cognitive assessments in later years. Men who had napped for an average of two hours or more daily at the start of the study were 66 percent more likely to develop clinically significant cognitive impairment than those who had napped for 30 minutes or less. Excessive napping was most profoundly associated with cognitive impairment in men who slept well at night, implying that night-time sleep disruption was unlikely to directly affect the relationship. "For the first time, we can clearly show an association between objectively measured naps and long-term risk of cognitive decline," noted UCSF Professor Yue Leng.