Johns Hopkins study links daily napping to higher dementia risk

A study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has identified a correlation between frequent daytime napping and an increased risk of dementia in older adults. Based on data from 995 Medicare recipients aged 65 and older, researchers observed participants over a ten-year period.

The findings indicate that daily or near-daily napping is associated with a 48 percent higher risk of dementia compared to those who nap less frequently. Notably, the study distinguished between types of sleep: unintentional nodding off was linked to a 39 percent higher risk, whereas planned, intentional naps showed no statistically significant correlation with cognitive decline.

Researchers suggest that these sleep patterns may serve as a marker for underlying neurological changes already occurring in the brain rather than being the direct cause of the condition.