03-07-2025
Napping too much after 60? New study links long afternoon snoozes to higher death risk
A recent study suggests excessive daytime naps could be risky for older adults. Researchers presented the findings at SLEEP 2025 in Seattle. Longer, irregular naps between 11 AM and 3 PM are linked to higher mortality. Experts advise short 'power naps' of 20-30 minutes. They also suggest that frequent napping may indicate underlying health issues.
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Naps between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. were most risky
Long naps might mean you're not sleeping well at night
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A new study says that older adults who nap too much during the day may have a higher risk of death. This study was presented at SLEEP 2025, a big sleep science event in Seattle, Washington. The research looked at daytime naps , especially longer and irregular naps in the early afternoon, and found these were linked to a higher death risk over 8 years, as per the report by Fox News Gao, the study's lead author and a postdoc at Massachusetts General Hospital, said they wanted to understand more than just if people nap — but also how long, when, and how often. The study had 86,565 participants with an average age of 63. All had regular daytime jobs, as per people wore devices that tracked their movement during sleep. It didn't check brain activity though. Scientists defined daytime napping as sleep between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Over the next 8 years, 5,189 people (6%) from the study died, as stated in the report by Fox News who napped between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. or took longer naps had higher chances of dying during those 8 years. The study also adjusted for other death risk factors like age, weight, smoking, alcohol, and night sleep time. Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, a sleep expert from Wesper, New York, who wasn't part of the study, said naps are okay unless they're used to make up for bad night sleep, according to the report by Fox News also said adults need 7 to 9 hours of good sleep at night to stay healthy and avoid diseases like heart problems and diabetes. One issue with the study: it might have confused "quiet rest" with actual sleep, because the tracker only checks movement, not brain activity, as mentioned in the defining naps as between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. may have accidentally included some people's real sleep, not just naps. Too much daytime sleeping could be a sign of other health problems like chronic illness, body inflammation, or issues with the body's internal clock, as mentioned by Fox News Rohrscheib said if someone needs a nap every day, they probably have bad night sleep or an underlying health issue. Chenlu Gao said more studies are needed to find out whether naps directly cause health issues, or if they're just a sign of something Gao also said watching people's napping patterns could help spot health problems early and let doctors step in faster. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says healthy naps should be under 20 to 30 minutes, and taken early in the afternoon, according to the "power naps" can help you feel more awake and full of energy. But if you nap for more than 30 minutes, you might feel tired or dizzy after waking short, sleeping too much during the day after age 60 can be risky. The time, length, and how often you nap may show signs about your health, according to Fox News DigitalYes, a new study says too much daytime napping after age 60 may raise the risk of say naps should be 20–30 minutes and taken early in the afternoon.
