Afternoon Nap

A study presented at the American College of Cardiology shows that taking a nap lasting more than 40 minutes can increase the risk of premature death. This has been claimed after the scientists evaluated 21 observational studies involving about 307,237 people.

The study observed that a long nap during daytime is linked to developing metabolic syndromes including obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol. Scientists arrived at about 40 minutes after determining the relationship between the metabolic diseases and naps. In the studies, patients were asked questions ranging from their problem with sleepiness during the day to sleeping during the day. The answers were then compared to the patients’ medical history–metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The study also noted that naps are healthy but if they continue to last longer than 40 minutes then they can even result in premature death. It is reported that during long naps, the body thinks it is about to enter deep sleeps, which is not the case and hence, unlike short naps, its metabolic cycle remains unsettled when a person wakes up.