How long should you take a healthy nap?

Napping does have an impact on health

01 Napping can slow down brain shrinkage

In 2023, a research paper published in the magazine “Sleep Health” showed that there is a causal relationship between frequent naps and larger total brain volume, suggesting that regular daytime naps can reduce brain atrophy caused by poor sleep through metabolism. Compensation plays a protective role to a certain extent.

02 Taking a short nap every day can reduce high blood pressure

In 2019, an international study showed that for patients with hypertension, napping can significantly reduce 24-hour average systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which is also a lifestyle treatment for lowering blood pressure.

03 Taking a nap can energize you and improve your alertness

One study showed that brief planned naps (approximately 26 minutes) had a significant positive impact on pilot performance and alertness, with a 16% improvement in median reaction time, significantly lower physiological sleepiness, and increased productivity.

04 Napping can reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

A study published in the journal Heart found that people who took naps once or twice a week had a 48% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than people who never took naps. At the same time, a study by the Medical University of Athens in Greece showed that those who took naps at least three times a week for about half an hour each time had a 37% lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who did not take naps.

05 Nap time affects cognitive ability

One study showed that people who never take naps experience cognitive decline that is 4 to 6 times faster than normal aging.

　A healthy nap should pay attention to the duration

01 Excessive napping increases the risk of death

A study presented at the 2020 European Society of Cardiology Annual Meeting found that for those who get enough sleep every night, a short lunch break of no more than 1 hour a day is beneficial to heart health, but a nap of more than an hour is associated with death. The risk is increased by 30%, and the risk of cardiovascular disease is increased by 35%.

02 Excessive napping increases the risk of dementia

A 2022 study published in the journal Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia found that there may be a two-way relationship between napping and brain aging. The longer and more frequent daytime naps are associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease; conversely, daytime naps increase as cognitive function declines in Alzheimer’s disease patients.

03 Excessive napping increases the risk of obesity

In April 2023, the magazine “Obesity” published a study showing that compared with participants who did not take a nap, people who took long naps (more than 30 minutes) had lower body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and fasting blood sugar. , systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, risk of metabolic syndrome and other related values ​​are higher; people who take short naps (less than 30 minutes) perform better in terms of blood pressure.

04 Excessive napping increases the risk of stroke

In 2023, a research paper published by researchers at the National University of Ireland in the journal Neurology showed that: compared with no nap, napping for more than 1 hour increases the risk of stroke by 1.88 times; compared with 7 hours of sleep, , sleeping for less than 5 hours, the risk of stroke increases by 3.15 times; sleeping for more than 9 hours, the risk of stroke increases by 2.67 times.

05 Excessive napping increases the risk of arrhythmia

In 2023, a study published by Spanish scholars at the European Society of Cardiology Annual Meeting showed that compared with participants who took daytime naps <30 minutes/day, participants who slept for ≥30 minutes/day were less likely to develop atrial fibrillation. The risk is significantly increased by 90%. Participants who took shorter naps had a lower risk of developing atrial fibrillation. Compared with participants who nap for more than 30 minutes per day, participants who nap between 15 and 30 minutes per day have the lowest risk of developing atrial fibrillation.

It can be seen that if you take a nap for more than 30 minutes, it is likely to cause many diseases and is not beneficial to health and longevity. The above research reminds us: nap should only be a short nap, not too long! It is generally recommended that naps should not exceed 30 minutes.

It is best not to take a nap in the third category of people

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