If you’ve ever felt like you’re so sleepy you’re about to take a snooze standing up (or sitting at your desk around the 3 pm slump), you’re not alone. It’s normal to feel wiped out sometimes, especially when your life is really busy or have let your sleep hygiene slide. But feeling consistently tired can be a sign that something is seriously off with your health.
In fact, scientists have discovered that in older adults, this type of excessive sleepiness could be a warning sign for dementia, according to new research. Of course, it’s important to stress that it’s normal to feel tired on some level as you get older, which makes these findings a little complicated. (TLDR: Don’t panic if your grandma likes her afternoon naps—she has earned them! And getting older causes a lot of wear and tear on the body that requires rest.)
Here’s what the study found, plus what’s behind this link.
Meet the expert: Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.
What did the study find?
The study, which was published in the journal Neurology, used sleep trackers to watch the sleep patterns (including naps) of 733 women in their 80s. During the roughly five-year follow-up period, 164 of the women developed mild cognitive impairment, which is a noticeable change in memory and thinking skills, and 93 were diagnosed with dementia.
The researchers discovered that people who had large jumps in sleepiness over time, including excessive napping, had double the risk of developing dementia. As a result, the researchers concluded that changes in sleep patterns may be an “early marker” or risk factor for dementia in older women.
Why is sleepiness linked with dementia?
It’s not entirely clear. “If you ask two different neurologists, you may get two different answers as we still don’t know the reason we sleep,” says Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.
However, Dr. Segil points out that sleep is linked to memory consolidation (where short-term memories become long-term memories) and good health overall. “Getting a good night’s sleep is more important for octogenarians—people in their 80s—than a good daytime nap,” he says.
Dr. Segil notes that poor sleep is linked to trouble consolidating memories in younger people, and that probably gets worse with age. “Memory retrieval is likely affected by poor sleep in elderly patients,” he says. So, if someone is not sleeping well, it could impact their memory, especially if this is a consistent issue.
Could it be a sign of something else?
Yup, feeling consistently tired can be linked with a range of health issues. “Daytime sleepiness is most often associated with a condition called obstructive sleep apnea, whose main symptoms is daytime sleepiness or non-restorative sleep,” Dr. Segil says.
But narcolepsy, anemia, depression, and certain vitamin deficiencies can also cause you to feel tired during the day, making this an important thing to get checked out.
What are some other common dementia signs and symptoms?
There are a lot of potential early symptoms of dementia, but these are the most common, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA):
Memory loss, poor judgment, and confusion
Trouble speaking, understanding and expressing thoughts
Wandering and getting lost in a familiar area
Difficulty handling money and paying bills
Repeating questions
Using unusual words to refer to familiar objects
Taking longer to complete normal daily tasks
Losing interest in normal daily activities
Hallucinating or having delusions or paranoia
Acting impulsively
Not caring about other people’s feelings
Losing balance and problems with movement
If you or a loved one is dealing with constant daytime sleepiness, it’s a good idea to get it checked out by a healthcare provider. There are so many potential reasons for this symptom, but you won’t know what you’re dealing with until you get a proper evaluation.
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