Kiesha Dosanjh
We all love a good bed rotting session, especially on a lazy Sunday morning. However, new research has indicated that napping frequently may not be as harmless as we may have once thought.
Of course, the odd nap here and there after a long day at work isn’t causing anyone any harm. However, if they’re becoming regular thing, a new study has shown they could be causing underlying health issues for older adults.
In fact, the study showed that frequent daytime naps were associated with higher mortality rates in adults. For those wondering - the times that were classified as a nap in this study were between 9am - 7pm.
The Objectively Measured Daytime Napping Patterns and All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults study, which was published recently in JAMA Network Open, made some alarming findings.
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The study examined data collected over a whopping 19 years, and included 1338 adults aged 56 years, or older. They found those who engaged in ‘excessive’ daytime napping (as well as morning napping) were associated with higher all-cause mortality.
Part of the study states: “While brief naps can immediately alleviate fatigue and improve alertness, excessive napping in later life has been linked to adverse health outcomes, including neurodegeneration, cardiovascular diseases, and even greater morbidity.”
The study also found that these early morning nappers may have 'more underlying health issues.'
Plus, evidence collected in the study supports the idea that morning and afternoon fatigue may arise from distinct underlying conditions. One part of the study suggested that chronic inflammation may induce daytime fatigue, and therefore, increase naps.
From the findings, the researchers stressed that there could be 'potential clinical value of incorporating wearable device–based nap assessments into routine health monitoring'.
It’s not the first study to reveal similar findings either. Last year, a study from Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston analyzed data from almost 90,000 adults which found a solid link between frequent napping and the deterioration of health.
Lead investigator of the study, Chenlu Gao, told Medscape Medical News at the time: "Our findings suggest that certain patterns of napping could serve as early indicators of declining health."
The doctor explained: "Longer or more irregular naps may reflect poor nighttime sleep, circadian rhythm disruption, or underlying health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, depression, or early neurodegenerative changes."
Time to get up off that sofa!