Common habit during day is little known symptom that you could have dementia
Brits are being warned by an expert of a common habit during the day that could actually be a sign of dementia.
Taking a nap might appear to be innocuous but Dr Rayaz Malik said that it could be a symptom of dementia as a person becomes weaker. Dementia is a group of related symptoms associated with ongoing decline of brain functioning.
There are many different causes and many types of dementia. The NHS says: “It's normal for your memory to be affected by stress, tiredness, certain illnesses and medicines. But if you're becoming increasingly forgetful, particularly if you're over the age of 65, it's a good idea to talk to a GP about the early signs of dementia."
Research shows there are more than 944,000 people in the UK who have the disease with one in 11 people over the age of 65 suffering from it. The number of people with dementia is increasing because we are living longer and it is estimated that by 2030, the number of with it in the UK will be more than one million. While there is no cure for dementia there are treatments to delay its impact and support available to ease symptoms. And there are lesser known symptoms like taking naps that are a sign of the condition.
Dr Rayaz Malik, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine told the Express: “Taking frequent daytime naps is also a notable behaviour associated with certain conditions, including dementia, and losing interest in friends and family is a sign that may indicate dementia.”
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This is supported by the Alzheimer’s Society, which says that people in the later stages of dementia have a tendency to feel sleepy. “It is quite common for a person with dementia, especially in the later stages, to spend a lot of their time sleeping – both during the day and night,” said the charity.
“This can sometimes be distressing for the person’s family and friends, as they may worry that something is wrong. Sleeping more and more is a common feature of later-stage dementia. As the disease progresses, the damage to a person’s brain becomes more extensive and they gradually become weaker and frailer over time.” Sleep problems in general are quite common among people with dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Society lists these as:
Sleeping during the day and being awake and restless during the night
Becoming disorientated in the dark if they wake up to use the toilet
Waking up more often and staying awake longer during the night
Getting up in the early hours and thinking it’s day time or time to go to work (disorientation in time)
Not being able to tell the difference between night and day.
The Alzheimer's Society said: “Nobody completely understands why dementia affects sleeping patterns. For some people, it may be that their internal ‘biological clock’, which judges what time it is, becomes damaged so the person starts to feel sleepy at the wrong time of day."
Dr Malik has also shared other signs of dementia to look for:
Short term memory loss
Challenges with routine tasks, such as driving to familiar places
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Cognitive impairment may lead to difficulties in keeping a track of the day of the week, month or even year
Vision and spatial awareness
Naming objects becomes a challenge
Social interactions may decline
Changes in mood, including over-forgetfulness and depression.
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