NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Seniors who are unusually sleepy during the day may also be developing early signs of memory loss or other types of cognitive impairment, researchers report.

But simply having regular lunch dates with a friend, spending afternoons with grandchildren or going out for evenings of bingo or cards could help stave off both problems, said study author Dr. Maurice M. Ohayon of the Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center in Stanford, California.

In telephone interviews with 1,026 healthy people aged 60 or older living in Paris, France, nearly 14% of respondents reported excessive daytime sleepiness, often characterized by nodding off while watching TV, reading or having a conversation.

Compared with the other study participants, those who reported heavy daytime drowsiness were about twice as likely to also experience difficulties with memory, concentration and other cognitive functions, the researchers report in the January 28th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The findings held true even after the investigators accounted for factors known to contribute to daytime sleepiness, such as medication use, lack of a good night's rest and medical conditions such as depression.

One possible explanation, Ohayon told Reuters Health, is that older people who stay at home most of the day without much social interaction or other mental stimulation tend to doze off due to boredom, and because they are not keeping their minds active, they are more likely to lose cognitive function.

"If you're sleeping during the day, you're not interacting with the community," Ohayon said. "Staying active keeps the mind healthy."

Research has shown that older people who regularly get together with friends to talk, play games or engage in other social activities are less likely to lose their mental functioning, he noted.

Ohayon recommended that older people with daytime drowsiness consult their doctors to rule out any number of factors that could be the culprit, from medications to underlying diseases. They should also try to get enough sleep at night so they are well rested each day and avoid afternoon naps longer than an hour, which can interrupt nighttime sleep, he said.

Beyond that, those who are socially isolated should try to interact more with their friends to keep their days busy--and their minds active, Ohayon advised.

SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine 2002;162:201-208.

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