Do You Take A Nap During The Day? Here’s How It Could Affect Your Health

This is how the study was conducted

The study used data from the University of Navarra Follow-up (SUN) Project, a prospective cohort of Spanish university graduates. A total of 20,348 participants, free of atrial fibrillation at baseline, completed a questionnaire every two years. Information was obtained on sociodemographics (such as age, sex and working hours), medical conditions (high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnoea, cardiovascular diseases including atrial fibrillation), lifestyle (napping, smoking, exercise, coffee intake, binge drinking, adherence to a Mediterranean diet, TV watching), height and weight.

Under the study, participants were divided into three categories: less than 15 minutes, 15 to 30 minutes, and more than 30 minutes. “Short daytime nappers were defined as those who snoozed for less than 30 minutes,” the author was quoted as saying

The average age of participants at baseline was 38 years and 61 per cent were women. The study stated that during a median follow-up of 13.8 years, 131 participants developed atrial fibrillation. “Compared to short daytime nappers, those who snoozed for 30 minutes or more per day had a nearly doubled risk of developing atrial fibrillation. Meanwhile, compared with short nappers, the risk was not elevated in those who avoided napping,” the author added.

Second study

The researchers conducted a second analysis to identify nap duration associated with the lowest risk of atrial fibrillation. “Compared with those who napped for more than 30 minutes per day, those who napped for less than 15 minutes had a 42 per cent lower risk of developing atrial fibrillation while those who napped for 15 to 30 minutes had a 56 per cent reduced risk,” said Dr Diaz-Gutierrez.

This analysis included those who reported regular napping and excluded participants who did not nap. According to the lead author, “the results suggest that the optimal napping duration is 15 to 30 minutes”. “Larger studies are needed to determine whether a short nap is preferable to not napping at all.”

According to Dr Diaz-Gutierrez, there are numerous potential explanations for the associations between napping and health. For example, long daytime naps may disrupt the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm), leading to shorter night-time sleep, more nocturnal awakening and reduced physical activity. In contrast, short daytime napping may improve circadian rhythm, lower blood pressure levels and reduce stress.