Prime Highlights
- Harvard researchers discover that longer or unscheduled daytime napping, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., is linked to higher risk of premature death.
- Very short naps lasting less than 30 minutes are safe and even potentially healthy.
Key Facts
- More than 86,000 adults were followed over the long term with wearable monitors and monitored for more than 11 years.
- Individuals with regular and frequent long or irregular naps had extremely high mortality rates relative to those who napped occasionally.
- Regular, short napping was not associated with risk and might be promotive of good physical and mental health.
Key Background
A large study done by researchers from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital has found that not all napping is good—some may even be bad. The research, unveiled in recent weeks at an established sleep medicine conference and published in a peer-reviewed journal, tracked over 86,000 people over 11 years to investigate how daytime napping patterns influence long-term health.
The research applied wearable monitors to track the activity and sleep of participants for a span of one week, closely examining their napping habits. It discovered that people who used to take long naps very often, particularly between the late morning and early afternoon (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) range, had a significantly higher risk of dying prematurely in their lifetime when compared to those who did not nap or napped for short periods.
The risk persisted even after adjustment for other health ailments like age, weight, alcohol use, smoking status, and the total amount of night time slept. More than 5,800 participants had died when the research was done, and the findings were clearly discernible that long and unscheduled napping was associated with higher mortality.
Experts attribute long or abnormal daytime sleep as a marker of health conditions. It can be a manifestation of disturbed nighttime sleep, chronic fatigue, cardiovascular disease, or even the early stages of neurological conditions. The authors warn that napping per se is not objectionable but the environment and time of napping are extremely important.
Conversely, shorter naps of 30 minutes or less were not linked to any heightened risk and in fact have the endorsement of sleep science to enhance alertness, memory, and mood. These “power naps” are safe and even revitalizing when used with intention.
The trick is not to cut out napping entirely but to be careful about length and frequency. If one finds oneself requiring frequent long naps or feeling drowsy afterward, it could be a signal to consult a health professional. Sleep health, routine sleep habits, and treating potential sleep disorders are essential to long-term health.
