We know there are many factors here. Maybe older people who nap more have less hobbies and use their brain less (e.g., if you still work or volunteer daily you don't have time to nap). Maybe they take more pills and have other health issues that make them more sleep during the day. Who knows. Too many possibilities.
I haven't taken xanax but I guess present day quality of life (for some) may be more important than unforseen long term consequences. It would be nice to know for sure though.
Drug dependence and an inability to cope with stress/anxiety without the drug. Benzodiazepines are useful to alleviate panic attacks, but they’re not a great way to manage general anxiety, due to the drawbacks.
Making lifestyle/personal/environmental changes and removing stressors is the key to managing long term anxiety for most people, not drugs.
That's why they're not recommended as a long-term sleep aid.
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=benz...