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Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Naps associated with increased risk of death, report says
June 5 (UPI) -- An afternoon snooze might seem appealing to middle-aged folks and seniors, but these naps could carry a high cost. People with certain types of napping patterns have a greater risk of an early death, researchers are slated to report at an upcoming meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "People who slept longer during the day, had irregular daytime sleep patterns, or slept more around midday and early afternoon were at greater risk, even after accounting for health and lifestyle factors," lead researcher Chenlu Gao, a postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said in a news release. The findings call into question the whole concept of the "power nap." For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 86,500 people participating in the UK Biobank long-term health research project. These folks had their sleep habits monitored for a week using wrist devices, and researchers compared those habits to death records. Their average age was 63 at the time their napping was tracked. Nearly 5,200 people died during a follow-up of 11 years, researchers said. Results showed an increased risk of premature death for: • People who tended to take longer daytime naps • Folks whose napping patterns fluctuated frequently • People who napped between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. This last observation contradicts academy guidelines, which encourages adults to limit themselves to "power naps" of no more than 20 to 30 minutes in the early afternoon, researchers noted. Naps that last longer than a half-hour can cause grogginess that undercuts the potential helpfulness of a siesta, researchers said. "Interestingly, the data that shows risks associated with napping around midday and early afternoon contradicts what we currently know about napping, so further research on that link could be warranted," Gao said. Gao is to present these findings Wednesday during the AASM's annual meeting in Seattle. Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. More information The Mayo Clinic has more on napping for healthy adults. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
The Irish Sun
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
The 3 common sleep habits that increase your risk of dying young – as red flag raised over napping danger
YOU might think a quick kip during the day is harmless – or even healthy. After all, in parts of the 2 Kipping the wrong way might just shorten your life Credit: Getty Earlier this year, scientists from Texas, said that taking an afternoon nap can But now, new research from the US has flipped that idea on its head, suggesting that certain nap habits could actually raise your risk of dying young. This isn't the first time science has raised concerns - with many experts remaining wary of the adult nap. Previous studies have linked daytime snoozing to a higher risk of diabetes, obesity and . Read more on napping Now, the latest findings, set to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting in June, have identified three key reasons why naps could be so dangerous. "People who slept longer during the day, had irregular daytime sleep patterns, or slept more around midday and early afternoon were at greater risk, even after accounting for health and lifestyle factors," lead author Dr Chenlu Gao, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said. This was especially the case for middle-aged and older adults. The study tracked over 86,000 adults with an average age of 63, monitoring their sleep patterns using Most read in Health They found the average daytime nap lasted about 24 minutes, but those who regularly took longer naps or had wildly varying nap lengths from day to day faced a higher risk of dying sooner. Napping most often around midday to early afternoon was linked to greater health risks. I spent three days at a sleep retreat - these are the top 7 things I learnt "This contradicts what we currently know about napping, so further research on that link could be warranted," Dr Chenlu added. Since mid-afternoon is usually the time experts recommend for napping, The participants were followed for up to 11 years, during which time 5,189 people - about 6 per cent of the group - died. The researchers adjusted for factors like age, sex, Even after accounting for these, the patterns of longer, irregular, or midday naps still stood out as an influencing risk factor. 2 Step-by-step guide on how to have a perfect nap - and why it's so good for you Experts aren't entirely sure why, but it could be that longer or irregular naps signal underlying health problems, or that they disrupt the body's natural rhythms more than previously thought. Other research has shown that poor sleep patterns can sometimes be a sign of other health issues, like heart disease, diabetes, or depression. Both the NHS and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine say keep naps short - around 10 to 30 minutes - and take them before mid-afternoon (around 3 pm). This helps boost energy without messing up your nighttime sleep or leaving you groggy. But you give up napping for good, the experts note that more research is needed to fully understand the risks, especially since the current study can only show links, not cause and effect. Three deadly napping habits to watch out for New research has found that certain daytime sleep patterns could increase your risk of dying young — especially if you're middle-aged or older. 1. Long naps Napping for longer than 30 minutes regularly was linked to higher mortality risk. Experts say short 'power naps' of 20–30 minutes are best. 2. Irregular nap schedules People whose nap durations varied wildly from day to day faced greater health risks. Keeping a consistent nap routine may help. 3. Napping around midday to early afternoon Although this is often the recommended time to nap, the study found people who napped most during these hours had an increased risk of early death.
Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
The 3 common sleep habits that increase your risk of dying young – as red flag raised over napping danger
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) YOU might think a quick kip during the day is harmless – or even healthy. After all, in parts of the Mediterranean, daytime naps - or siestas - are seen as a good way to reboot your system during the post-lunch slump. 2 Kipping the wrong way might just shorten your life Credit: Getty Earlier this year, scientists from Texas, said that taking an afternoon nap can increase adults problem-solving brain power. But now, new research from the US has flipped that idea on its head, suggesting that certain nap habits could actually raise your risk of dying young. This isn't the first time science has raised concerns - with many experts remaining wary of the adult nap. Previous studies have linked daytime snoozing to a higher risk of diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Now, the latest findings, set to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting in June, have identified three key reasons why naps could be so dangerous. "People who slept longer during the day, had irregular daytime sleep patterns, or slept more around midday and early afternoon were at greater risk, even after accounting for health and lifestyle factors," lead author Dr Chenlu Gao, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said. This was especially the case for middle-aged and older adults. The study tracked over 86,000 adults with an average age of 63, monitoring their sleep patterns using apple-watch-like wrist devices for a full week. They found the average daytime nap lasted about 24 minutes, but those who regularly took longer naps or had wildly varying nap lengths from day to day faced a higher risk of dying sooner. Napping most often around midday to early afternoon was linked to greater health risks. I spent three days at a sleep retreat - these are the top 7 things I learnt "This contradicts what we currently know about napping, so further research on that link could be warranted," Dr Chenlu added. Since mid-afternoon is usually the time experts recommend for napping, The participants were followed for up to 11 years, during which time 5,189 people - about 6 per cent of the group - died. The researchers adjusted for factors like age, sex, body weight, smoking, alcohol use, and how much people slept at night to make sure the links with napping weren't simply due to those other risks. Even after accounting for these, the patterns of longer, irregular, or midday naps still stood out as an influencing risk factor. 2 Step-by-step guide on how to have a perfect nap - and why it's so good for you Experts aren't entirely sure why, but it could be that longer or irregular naps signal underlying health problems, or that they disrupt the body's natural rhythms more than previously thought. Other research has shown that poor sleep patterns can sometimes be a sign of other health issues, like heart disease, diabetes, or depression. Both the NHS and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine say keep naps short - around 10 to 30 minutes - and take them before mid-afternoon (around 3 pm). This helps boost energy without messing up your nighttime sleep or leaving you groggy. But you give up napping for good, the experts note that more research is needed to fully understand the risks, especially since the current study can only show links, not cause and effect.
