HomeLifestyleHealth & FitnessNew Research Reveals Why Getting More Naps Isn't Always Beneficial - Are...

New Research Reveals Why Getting More Naps Isn’t Always Beneficial – Are You At Risk?

Published on

Regular napping has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke in new research published today in Hypertension.

To determine if frequent naps could be a risk factor for high blood pressure and/or stroke, researchers in China conducted an investigation.

This is the first study to employ both long-term observational analysis and Mendelian randomization to determine whether frequent napping is linked to high blood pressure and ischemic stroke.

According to E Wang, the study’s corresponding author, “These results are especially interesting since millions of people might enjoy a regular or even daily nap,”

The study analyzed data from UK Biobank, a significant biological database and research resource that contains anonymized genetic, lifestyle, and health data from half a million UK participants.

Between 2006 and 2010, the UK Biobank recruited over 500,000 people aged 40 to 69 who lived in the United Kingdom.

They routinely gave blood, urine, and saliva samples as well as thorough lifestyle details. A select group of individuals who were part of the UK Biobank were polled four times about their daytime napping habits between the years 2006 and 2019.

Records of patients who had already suffered a stroke or had high blood pressure before the study’s start were excluded by Wang’s team.

With an average follow-up of roughly 11 years, this left about 360,000 people for the analysis of the relationship between napping and first-time reports of stroke or high blood pressure.

When it came to the frequency of napping, participants were separated into three groups: “never/rarely,” “sometimes,” and “usually.”

The study revealed:

  • In comparison to never- or sometimes-nappers, a higher proportion of habitual nappers were men, had lower levels of education and income, and reported daily drinking, snoring, insomnia, and being an evening person;
  • People who often napped had a 24 percent greater chance of having a stroke and a 12 percent greater chance of getting high blood pressure compared to those who said they never napped;
  • When compared to participants the same age who never napped, those who regularly napped had a 20 percent higher chance of having high blood pressure. After the age of 60, people who regularly napped had a 10 percent higher risk of having high blood pressure compared to those who never napped;
  • About three-quarters of individuals remained in the same napping group throughout the trial; Mendelian randomization revealed that the risk of high blood pressure increased by 40 percent if napping frequency increased by one category (from never to sometimes or sometimes to regularly). Genetic predisposition to high blood pressure risk was linked to a higher frequency of naps.

“This may be because, although taking a nap itself is not harmful, many people who take naps may do so because of poor sleep at night. Poor sleep at night is associated with poorer health, and naps are not enough to make up for that,” says Michael A. Grandner, a sleep expert.

“This study echoes other findings that generally show that taking more naps seems to reflect increased risk for problems with heart health and other issues.” 

The authors advise further research into the relationships between a heart-healthy sleep schedule, including daytime naps.

The study also has several limitations.

There is no evidence on how or whether sleep length influences blood pressure or stroke risks because researchers only recorded daytime napping frequency.

In addition, the frequency of naps was self-reported; hence, projections are nonquantifiable.

The majority of the study’s participants were middle-aged or older people of European descent, therefore the findings might not be applicable to everyone.

Lastly, scientists have not yet found out how napping during the day affects blood pressure or the risk of having a stroke.

Image Credit: Getty

You were reading: New Research Reveals Why Getting More Naps Isn’t Always Beneficial – Are You At Risk?

Latest articles

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...

Science Shock: Salmon’s Food Choices Better at Reducing Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

Salmon: Rich in Health Benefits, Yet May Offer Less Nutritional Value - This is...

More like this

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...