Killer sloth?

Sleeping on the job...   (Painting by Carel Fabritius)

Let’s face it, sloth was never a top-notch quality.  Even during Sabbath, there are prayers to be prayed and rituals to be followed.

One of the Seven Deadly Sins, sloth has long been maligned.  The word “sloth” is derived from the Latin term acedia, which means “without care.”  This does not denote a happy carefree state, but instead an apathetic one, resulting in boredom and laziness.

Scientists are now wrestling with a new conundrum:  Which came first, sloth or dementia?  Researchers found that people who consistently slept more than nine hours per day “were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia over the next ten years” than those who slept less.  So does acedia breed dementia, or vice versa?

If this question keeps you awake at night, all the better. Although nine seems fine, less is more.  

Resources

http://www.marocjournal.net/news-info/sleep-and-dementia-link-oversleeping-could-be-an-early-symptom-of-alzheimers-1109-2017/ 

Copyright February 24, 2017 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved