A groundbreaking study conducted by scientists from the United States, United Kingdom, and Uruguay has discovered that regular napping can help maintain youthful brains, improve cognitive functions, and reduce the risk of diseases like dementia. The researchers analyzed data from approximately 380,000 individuals aged 40 to 69 to investigate cognitive differences between habitual nappers and those without genetic markers for napping.
The study findings revealed that individuals who regularly took naps had larger brains, equivalent to being 2.6 to 6.5 years younger than non-nappers. Lead author Valentina Paz, a neuroscientist at University College London (UCL), emphasized the causal link between habitual napping and larger total brain volume. Previous research on older adults had already indicated that daytime napping improved short-term cognition, with nappers performing better in cognitive tests. While the study did not record nap durations, previous findings suggest that naps shorter than 30 minutes are optimal, and earlier naps are less likely to disrupt nighttime sleep.
The effects of napping on cognition have been a complex topic, with both positive and negative attention surrounding it. Understanding the impact of sleep patterns, such as napping, on cognitive health is crucial given the age-related decline in response time, memory, and common cognitive impairments among the elderly.
The study’s authors had previously conducted research on genetic variants influencing napping tendencies using data from the UK Biobank. In this new study, they analyzed health and cognitive outcomes for individuals with these genetic variants, while adjusting the data to mitigate potential biases. By examining brain volume and specific DNA sections related to napping habits, the researchers employed Mendelian randomization analysis—a method that identifies genes known to have health effects and helps uncover other influential factors in observational studies. This approach reduced potential biases associated with the associations between napping and health benefits.
Lead author Paz emphasized the significance of the study, as it is the first to attempt to untangle the causal relationship between habitual daytime napping and cognitive and structural brain outcomes. Self-reports indicated that 57% of participants rarely or never napped, while 38% reported occasional napping, and 5% stated they usually napped. However, those who usually napped tended to have additional factors such as older age, smoking, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, which could potentially influence health outcomes.
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