Who doesn’t love a good nap? On a Sunday, I’ll wake up in the morning, and if I’m motivated, I’ll go the gym and then have some brunch. At some point in the afternoon, I’ll be pretending not to watch my wife’s reality TV shows, and I’ll start to feel drowsy, slowly I’ll close my eyes and succumb. On waking I feel refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. Sometimes I’ll even have a coffee pre nap, which is known as a nappuccino. However, I recently learned that there are some links between daytime sleeping and Alzheimer’s disease. Though thankfully, not all bad.
Sleep itself is an important aspect of long-term health, with around a third of our lives spent asleep. It’s recommended that adults get 7-9 hours per night.[1] Less than seven hours is associated with a multitude of health issues, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression.[2]
Studies have found that adults generally nap more as they age.[3] But recently one observational study assessed daytime sleeping and cognition in older men over a 12 year period, it showed that adults who slept for more than 120 minutes during the day may have a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.[4] However, shorter naps may be a protective factor, with one study finding that naps of around 30 minutes potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s over the following five years.[5] Though the relationship is bidirectional, meaning it goes both ways, Alzheimer’s disease can also cause people to sleep more during the day.[6]
More evidence is needed to understand the true relationship between Alzheimer’s and napping, but overall, shorter naps may be better. So, while I’ll still enjoy my occasional Sunday naps, I’ll try to keep them short, making my nappuccino-fuelled afternoons both enjoyable and potentially healthier for my brain.
👋 For the new joiners: I’m Suraj, also known as Dr Sooj - a primary care doctor & health content creator. I love navigating the complex world of health and wellness and breaking down complicated concepts.
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Suraj (Doctor Sooj)
References:
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About sleep [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): CDC; [cited 2025 Mar 8]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html
[2] Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research; Colten HR, Altevogt BM, editors. Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2006. 3, Extent and Health Consequences of Chronic Sleep Loss and Sleep Disorders. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/
[3] Zhang Z, Xiao X, Ma W, Li J. Napping in Older Adults: A Review of Current Literature. Curr Sleep Med Rep. 2020 Sep;6(3):129-135. doi: 10.1007/s40675-020-00183-x. Epub 2020 Jul 25. PMID: 33777656; PMCID: PMC7992388.
[4] Leng Y, Redline S, Stone KL, Ancoli-Israel S, Yaffe K. Objective napping, cognitive decline, and risk of cognitive impairment in older men. Alzheimers Dement. 2019 Aug;15(8):1039-1047. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.04.009. Epub 2019 Jun 18. PMID: 31227429; PMCID: PMC6699896
[5] Kitamura K, Watanabe Y, Nakamura K, Takano C, Hayashi N, Sato H, Someya T. Short daytime napping reduces the risk of cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults: a 5-year longitudinal study. BMC Geriatr. 2021 Aug 28;21(1):474. doi: 10.1186/s12877-021-02418-0. PMID: 34454431; PMCID: PMC8401113.
[6] Li P, Gao L, Yu L, Zheng X, Ulsa MC, Yang HW, Gaba A, Yaffe K, Bennett DA, Buchman AS, Hu K, Leng Y. Daytime napping and Alzheimer's dementia: A potential bidirectional relationship. Alzheimers Dement. 2023 Jan;19(1):158-168. doi: 10.1002/alz.12636. Epub 2022 Mar 17. PMID: 35297533; PMCID: PMC9481741.