Naps are a common phenomenon experienced by individuals of all ages and can help with minimizing sleepiness and tiredness, especially in those individuals who simply did not get a proper night's rest the night before. Sleep is very important because it helps maintain our optimal health, allows our bodies to recover, increases our memory and cognitive functions, and supports growth and development. It is important to note that naps come in different types and last for different amounts of time. Mind breaks are naps that last roughly 5-10 minutes, power naps last 10-30 minutes, long naps last 45-60 minutes, and full sleep cycle naps last 90 minutes. While naps are more prominent early on and later on in life, it's important to note that everyone still naps here and there. It's important to understand how naps and the duration of them are linked to cognitive function, our circadian cycle, and how closely related sleep is linked to various diseases, all which will be discussed in this blog post amongst the elderly population.
Following Dr. Yousef D. Alquarshi and teams research, titled “Association Between Nap Duration and Cognitive Functions Among Saudi Older Adults,” regarding the relationship between nap duration and cognitive functions amongst older Saudi adults, where an afternoon nap is a common practice, we quickly learn that an extended nap of 90 minutes or more, is associated with decline in cognitive function amongst older adults. Dr. Alquarshi’s results were also consistent with several other studies such as one conducted in the United States by Dr. Jocelynn T. Owusu, where it was reported that “older adults who took long naps (> 60 min) had worse cognitive performance, while moderate duration nappers (31–60 min) performed better on delayed word recall task (DWR) than short-nappers (< 30 min).” Once again, pointing out that long naps are not beneficial.
Napping longer than 90 minutes tricks our bodies into a “second sleep” and causes insomnia problems at night, also affecting our sleep-wake cycle. Timing of the nap is something that should also be further researched, as naps closer to one’s bedtime pose a negative effect then naps taken earlier in the day. While understanding the relationship between longer naps and cognitive decline is still somewhat new, many researchers believe that it is linked to the established sleeping patterns set early on in life, which contribute to dementia risks later in life and because of the increased deposition of beta amyloids in the brain.
The increased deposition of beta amyloid is concerning because it is a biomarker for Alzheimer disease and long daytime napping can put adults and older individuals at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s. Published in the Harvard Gazette, the article titled “Excessive napping and Alzheimer’s linked in study” by Manisha Vadali, explores the research conducted at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center and University of California, San Francisco which reveals that “the results not only suggested 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.” While many researchers and other news articles take opposing sides on whether or not napping positively or negatively affects our cognitive performance, it's important to note that it does negatively impact older individuals.
With the preliminary findings in mind, we can conclude that extended napping does affect cognitive functions, one’s health, and sleep-wake cycles negatively. While we are younger, casual napping might be the best solution to compensate for an all nighter of studying but as we age, it might be an indicator of something more serious with our health such as cardiovascular health, diabetes, Alzheimer's, etc.
It’s important that we pay attention to our sleep-wake cycles, but also those of our elder family members, and talk to our healthcare providers if we notice drastic changes both in our sleep and cognitive abilities. Furthermore, this research and other areas of research focused on naps/sleep, cognitive functions, and sleep-wake cycles can be useful in pushing research further, especially to reflect other demographics such as populations and cultural groups of individuals where naps could be more or less prominent and a part of normal day to day norms. Understanding cognitive function amongst older adults is still scarce but it is something we need to better understand and research to better help those already fighting with cognitive decline and to better educate individuals on the relationship between sleep and cognitive function in younger individuals.
References:
Alqurashi, Y. D., AlHarkan, K., Aldhawyan, A., Bahamdan, A., Alabdulkader, A., Alotaibi, R., Alduailej, S., Alqahtani, M., & Al Ghamdi, K. (2022, June 3). Association Between Nap Duration and Cognitive Functions Among Saudi Older Adults. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.917987/full
Nap-Nav: Helping you navigate the different types of naps. ProNappers Limited. (2019, November 1). Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://pronappers.co.uk/nap-nav/
Owusu, JT, Wennberg, AMV, Holingue, CB, Tzuang, M, Abeson, KD, Spira, AP. Napping characteristics and cognitive performance in older adults. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2019; 34: 87– 96. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.4991
Vadali, M. (2022, March 16). Excessive napping and Alzheimer’s linked in study Harvard Gazette. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/03/vicious-cycle-found-between-excessive-napping-and-alzheimers/
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