Study: Long naps linked to high blood pressure and stroke

 Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Study: Long naps linked to high blood pressure and stroke

Reporter : Li Zhaoxi / Editor: Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/07/27/a103488420.html / Image : A little girl is sleeping. (Pixabay)

Taking a sweet nap after lunch, or a quick nap before hitting the gym? You might want to think twice. A new study published Monday (25 July 2022) in Hypertension, a journal of the American Heart Association, found that those who averaged longer naps havehigher rates of high blood pressure and stroke. 

The researchers looked at data on the sleeping habits and medical histories of about 360,000 Britons in the UK Biobank patient survey database, and collected information about the participants' blood, urine and saliva samples, as well as their lifestyles. They concluded that people who took longer average naps had a 24% higher risk of stroke and a 12% higher chance of developing high blood pressure than those who took infrequent naps.

In particular, the study noted that for people under the age of 60, those who nap regularly were at least 20 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who did not.

Explaining the reasoning behind this conclusion, the researchers said that more naps, in general, were intricately linked to not getting the right night's sleep. "Poor nighttime sleep is associated with poorer health, and naps are not enough to make up for it".

The study supports the view of sleep behavior experts who believe frequent naps are a warning of potential sleep disturbances in some people. The study also highlights that frequent napping is associated with smoking, daily alcohol consumption, snoring, insomnia and "night owl" behavior.

Not all naps are created equal, and many factors influence how well a nap works. Many people use naps as an effective way to relax and recharge, but how long is the best way to sleep?

Previous researchers found that a 5-minute nap was too short to achieve enough depth of sleep to have a noticeable effect. On the other hand, sleeping for 30 minutes or more gives the body enough time to fall into deep (slow wave) sleep. However, taking long naps or waking up from deep sleep can make people feel groggy for up to an hour, known as sleep inertia.

In most cases, the optimal nap time is long enough to refresh one's spirits, but not to create sleep inertia. Naps of 10 to 20 minutes are considered the ideal length, and they are sometimes called "power naps."

"A short 20- to 30-minute nap can often replace coffee." Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist and founder of the Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine clinic in Menlo Park, California said that naps of about 30 minutes can improve symptoms of fatigue, such as irritability, lack of motivation and sleepiness.

However, experts say children's naps should not be limited to 20 minutes because children have higher sleep requirements than adults.

"Naps should be the exception, not the rule, preferably focusing on 7 to 8 hours of optimal nighttime sleep," Dimitriu noted.

Experts advise, try not to take a nap after 3 pm as doing so can disrupt nighttime sleep. Ideally, you should take a short nap in the middle of the day.