Moderate post-lunch napping is tied to better cognition in older adults, according to a study published online Dec. 20 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
The objectives were to examine the cross-sectional associations between self-reported postlunch napping and structured cognitive assessments in Chinese older adults.
A significant association between cognitive function and napping
Junxin Li, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and his team examined associations between self-reported post-lunch napping and cognitive assessments in older Chinese adults (≥65 years).
The researchers found that 57.7 percent of participants reported napping. There was a significant association between cognitive function and napping. Moderate nappers had better overall cognition than non-nappers or extended nappers. Non-nappers also had significantly poorer cognition compared to short nappers (P = 0.03).
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Moderate napping was significantly associated with better cognition
After controlling for demographic characteristics, body mass index, depression, instrumental activities of daily living, social activities, and nighttime sleep duration, moderate napping was significantly associated with better cognition than non, short, and extended napping.
“Longitudinal studies with objective napping measures are needed to further test this hypothesis,” the authors write.
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