Dementia danger doubles for sleepy elderly women

ELDERLY women who feel sleepy dur- ing the day are at double the risk of dementia, warns research.

- BY STEPHEN BEECH

Women in their 80s who experience increasing sleepiness during daytime over a five-year period are at twice the risk of devel- oping the debilitating condition, say findings.

Study author Dr Yue Leng, of the University of California, San Francisco, said: "Sleep is essential for cognitive health as it allows the brain to rest and rejuvenate, enhancing our ability to think clearly and remember information.

"However, little is known about how changes in sleep and cognition are connected over time and how these changes relate to dementia risk in the later decades of life.