Long daytime naps early signs of Alzheimer’s disease

A new study by researchers from University of California has concluded that excessive napping during the day could be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease.

Earlier it was thought that too much nap time might be the cause of mental decline, according to The Guardian.

However, the latest study published in The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, indicates that it is a sign of the disease, not a cause.

"It might be a signal of accelerated ageing," according to Dr Yue Leng, assistant professor of Psychiatry Behavioral Science at the University of California, San Francisco and one of the researchers.

"The main takeaway is if you didn't used to take naps and you notice you're starting to get sleepier in the day, it might be a signal of declining cognitive health," the researcher added.

The previous studies which compared postmortem brains showed that those with Alzheimer's disease were found to have fewer specialist neurons that promote wakefulness, reports The Guardian adding that unusual sleep patterns, insomnia and poor sleep quality during night are common for people with dementia.

However, the latest study showed that the link with napping remained even when sleep during night-time was taken into account. "This suggested that the role of daytime napping is important itself," Leng said.

The authors of the study added that feeling increasingly drowsy during the day could be an early sign that changes in the brain, which were the precursors of dementia, were under way.