For many of us, a comfortable afternoon nap is a cherished opportunity to take a break, recharge and wake up and feel. Unfortunately, a new set of research just released by the European Society of Cardiology has issued a warning to all ordinary nap-takers out there.
Keep your sleep for less than an hour, as prolonged exposure is associated with a significantly higher risk of death from all causes and as the development of cardiovascular disease.
This is not the first time that the relationship between napping, mortality, and cardiovascular disease has been investigated, but all of these previous projects had at best mediocre or non-conclusive results. That said, the authors of this study conducted a comprehensive analysis of a dataset with more than 300,000 people (313,651 to be exact) collected from more than 20 previous research initiatives. Among that enormous cohort, 39% of participants were regular nap-takers.
That research yielded some eye-opening results. Compared to no napping at all, napping for more than 60 minutes was associated with a 30% higher chance of dying from any cause and a 34% greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Interestingly, however, when the research team took into account night sleep habits (average time in sleep), specific long sleeps were only linked to an increased risk of death among adults who slept more than six hours per night. This suggests that long sleeps can be especially detrimental when they are largely unnecessary due to adequate time spent sleeping at night.
All in all, however, sleeps from each length were associated with a 19% higher chance of death. The harmful effects of naps appear to be most prevalent in women (22% greater chance of death) and older adults (17% greater chance of death).
“Daytime sleep is common all over the world and is generally considered a healthy habit,” comments author Dr. Zhe Pan of Guangzhou Medical University, China, in a press release. “A common belief is that sleep improves performance and counteracts the negative effects of ‘sleep debt’. Our study challenges these widespread opinions. ”
The findings were not all bad news for nap lovers. For people who struggle to achieve 6-8 hours of sleep each night, the occasional short sleep may actually be beneficial from a cardiovascular disease perspective.
“The results suggest that shorter sleeps (especially those less than 30 to 45 minutes) can improve heart health in people who do not get enough sleep at night.” Dr. Pan adds.
However, the research team concludes that if you do not have the habit of sleeping over during the day, and usually get enough sleep at night, it is probably a good idea not to change your routine. In addition, occasional naps should be maintained for up to 30 or 45 minutes.
“If you want to take a siesta, our study indicates that it is safest to keep it under an hour. For those of us who do not have the habit of sleeping during the day, there is no convincing evidence to begin with. Dr. Pan suggests.
The notion that something as essential as sleep can sound harmful to us sounds absurd at first, and researchers cannot say for sure exactly why napping seems to affect the body in certain scenarios. That being said, sleeping for long periods is linked to higher levels of physical inflammation, which is never a good thing when it comes to heart care and overall life expectancy.
There’s a centuries-old saying, recently proclaimed in 1994 by legendary rapper Nas, that goes “sleep is the cousin of death.” This study provides some confidence in this statement.
This research will be presented at the ESC Congress 2020.
