A major new study has linked daytime napping to a higher risk of early death in middle-aged adults. The research, which tracked the sleep habits of over 86,000 healthy individuals, found that those who regularly napped, particularly in the early afternoon, were more likely to die prematurely than those who did not.
The study’s findings suggest that longer naps, inconsistent napping schedules, and napping around midday could increase the risk of early death. Experts believe that daytime sleepiness may be a warning sign of disrupted or poor-quality night-time rest, which could point to underlying health problems such as sleep disorders, dementia, or heart failure.
The researchers used actigraphy, a method for monitoring sleep-wake patterns using a small device, to assess the participants’ sleep over a week-long period. They found that on average, participants napped for around 24 minutes, with approximately a third of naps taken in the morning between 9 and 11am.
The study also found that as people got older, they slept for longer later in the day. After adjusting for potential confounding lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol use, and nighttime sleep duration, results showed that a less consistent napping routine was associated with a 14% increased risk of mortality.
Experts warn that further research is needed to better understand the biological pathways underlying these associations. They note that longer or more irregular naps could reflect underlying health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and dementia.
The study’s lead researcher, Professor Chenlu Gao, said: “Our study fills a gap in knowledge by showing that it’s not just whether someone naps but how long, how variable, and when they nap may be meaningful indicators of future health risk.”
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14831637/Nap-daytime-sleeping-early-death-dementia.html