Are ‘Senior Moments’ Normal?

Key takeaways:

It’s normal to occasionally forget someone’s name or why you entered a room. But these memory lapses — often called “senior moments” — are more common in older adults.
It can be unsettling to misplace or forget something, especially as you get older. And many people worry that this may be an early symptom of dementia.
Senior moments are not a cause for concern. But there are signs to help you know if something more serious is going on.

Moments of forgetfulness happen to everyone and at any age. You misplace your keys, a friend’s name suddenly escapes you, or you forget to buy something at the grocery store. And it’s normal for these moments to happen more often as you get older. This is why people often call them “senior moments.”

Even though these memory lapses are normal, they can feel alarming. And they can make you wonder if something more serious — like dementia — is causing them. But there are clues that can help you tell the difference between a senior moment and other age-related conditions.

What is a ‘senior moment’?

A senior moment is a nonmedical term for a brief lapse of memory or a moment of confusion. While these are more common in older adults, senior moments can happen to anyone, at any age.

Examples of senior moments include:

Forgetting where you put an object, like your keys or glasses
Forgetting the name of a celebrity on television, a relative, or a friend you haven’t seen in a while
Substituting one word with a similar but incorrect one
Not remembering why you went into a room
Having trouble recalling an address or phone number that you usually know by heart
Forgetting to lock the front door or close the garage
Losing the remote control

What can cause senior moments?

It is normal for brain function and memory to change as you get older. This is related to the way your brain changes with age:

The connections in your brain start to slow down a bit. That means you don’t process information as quickly as when you were younger.
Second, the brain shrinks with age. And the hippocampus — the area of the brain responsible for memory — shrinks more than other areas.
Other age-related changes in the brain can also impact its function. These include reduced blood flow and lower levels of hormones and neurotransmitters.

But memory lapses can have other causes that are more likely in older adults. These can be due to:

Lack of sleep
Increased stress
Nutritional deficiencies, like vitamin B12 deficiency
Falls and concussions
Any medical condition that affects blood flow or blood vessels
Depression and anxiety
Alcohol use, even when you don’t have alcohol in your system
Medications, especially ones that make you drowsy, like benzodiazepines

But there are times when memory lapses can be early signs of a brain condition, like dementia. And there are some clues that can help you tell the difference.

Is it a senior moment or dementia?

The major ways to tell the difference between a senior moment and dementia are:

Effect on daily life: Dementia interferes with your ability to care for yourself.
Reaction to episodes: Someone who has dementia does not always recognize when they forget something.
Noticeable change in behavior: Dementia often affects your personality and the way you behave around others.

Let’s go through some examples. Someone who has normal, age-related memory changes will:

Immediately recognize when they’re having a senior moment, before it causes significant distress
Locate their misplaced items within minutes
Still be able to take care of themselves and complete their daily activities
Use the wrong word in a sentence, but realize the mistake and correct it right away

In contrast, someone with dementia will often:

Experience distress or frustration when they feel confused or forgetful
Misplace common objects and be unable to retrace their steps to find them
Have difficulty with their regular routine — like getting groceries or getting dressed in the morning
Frequently pause while speaking because they can’t remember names or words

If a person has a senior moment, they’re likely to remember it. Remembering the moment is actually a good sign and often indicates that nothing more serious is going on. People with dementia often don’t realize they’re struggling to remember things. They may not even realize that it’s affecting their daily life. Not recognizing memory lapses is a sign that it could be more serious.

When should I be concerned about senior moments?

Senior moments are not a cause for concern — especially if they don’t happen too often. But it’s natural to wonder if your episodes are truly senior moments or if something else is going on.

Here are a few signs to know when you should talk to a provider about these episodes:

The senior moments happen more often or increase in number.
They get in the way of your daily activities. For example, if you can’t get through your day because you’re repeatedly misplacing things, it’s time to talk to your provider.
Memory lapses cause you to get lost, or you find yourself in places that seem unfamiliar.
You struggle to complete tasks that used to come easily — like balancing a checkbook.

How can you prevent senior moments?

Even when senior moments are not a sign of dementia, they can still feel upsetting. The good news is that there are steps you can take to help prevent senior moments from happening, such as:

Avoid multitasking, and do one thing at a time.
Replay memories in your head that are important to you. This reinforces them in your mind. These may be memories that have sentimental value to you. They can also be memories about how to complete specific, multi-step tasks.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to always work from your memory. Use memory tools like to-do lists, notes, or alarms to remember things.
Make sure to get enough sleep.
Practice mindfulness to minimize stress and declutter your mind.

In addition to the above, regularly exercising your mind can help keep your brain healthy. Mentally stimulating activities, like doing crossword puzzles or reading a book, may help preserve your cognitive abilities.

The bottom line

As you age, your body and mind experience natural changes. And age-related memory changes are normal. Normal senior moments don’t occur too often, and they don’t interfere with your day-to-day life. But don’t hesitate to talk to your provider if you notice they are happening more often or if they feel new or unusual for you. Your provider can help you figure out if your “senior moments” are potentially a sign of something more serious.

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Written by:

Cherilyn Davis, MD

Cherilyn Davis, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician in NYC. She's held local and national roles at the American Medical Women's Association, including board member of the physician division and physician chair of social media.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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