Planning to take a fast power sleep before hitting the gym or that lovely after-lunch nap? You might want to wait because a recent study found that nappers are more likely to acquire high blood pressure and suffer a stroke. The study was published in the American Heart Association journal.
The study reportedly came to such conclusion using information from nearly 360,000 people. For the study, data on the individuals’ lives and samples of blood, urine, and saliva were gathered.
Therefore, people who napped frequently had a 14% higher likelihood of developing blood pressure problems, as well as a 24% higher chance of having a stroke. The study also noted that for individuals younger than 60, napping frequently increased the chance of developing high blood pressure by at least 20 per cent, when compared to non-napping people.
Poor night’s sleep means frequent afternoon naps. Experts explained the thinking behind the choice, noting that sleeping poorly at night was closely related to taking more naps.
Naps are not sufficient to compensate for inadequate nighttime sleep, which is linked to worse health. According to one of the specialists, ‘this study supports prior studies that usually demonstrate that napping more frequently tends to reflect an increased risk for problems with heart health and other difficulties.’
The findings supported the claim made by specialists in sleep behaviour that, in some people, taking naps may be a sign of an underlying sleep disturbance.
But it’s also important to remember that the majority of study participants who napped frequently also smoked, drank regularly, snored, had insomnia and reported being an evening person.
A 15 to 20 minutes nap is encouraged. Anything more than that and one risks contracting life-threatening diseases. Moreover, those suffering from insomnia are advised to not indulge in afternoon naps.
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