Research shows that napping, or poor sleep patterns, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in older adults.
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Danger, Nap Turns Bad For Health
Rp_Newd88..After lunch, it can be a vulnerable time for a nap. But be careful, don't be in a hurry to take a nap.
Research shows that napping, or having poor sleep patterns, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in older adults.
A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on Tuesday adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the importance of proper sleep for good health.
The American Heart Association recently added sleep duration to a checklist of health and lifestyle factors for cardiovascular health, known as Life's Essential 8.
It says adults should sleep an average of seven to nine hours a night.
Good sleep behavior is critical for maintaining cardiovascular health in middle-aged and older adults, said lead author Weili Xu, a senior researcher at the Aging Research Center at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
We encourage people to keep a night's sleep of between seven and nine hours and to avoid frequent or excessive naps.
Previous research has shown sleep deprivation can put people at higher risk for a variety of chronic diseases and conditions that affect heart and brain health.
These include cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 35 percent of adults in the United States say they sleep less than seven hours, while another 3.6 percent say they sleep 10 hours or more.
Previous studies on sleep duration have shown that sleeping too much, or too little, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. But the answer to whether naps are good or bad isn't clear.
In the latest study, researchers analyzed sleep patterns for 12,268 adults in the Swedish Twin Registry. Participants were on average 70 years old at study entry, with no history of major cardiovascular events.
Previous research has reported that people who sleep between seven and nine hours a night are least likely to develop cardiovascular disease.
In the latest study, researchers analyzed sleep patterns for 12,268 adults in the Swedish Twin Registry. Participants were on average 70 years old at study entry, with no history of major cardiovascular events.
Previous research has reported that people who sleep between seven and nine hours a night are least likely to develop cardiovascular disease.
The risk increased by 23 percent if the nap lasted more than 30 minutes.
Overall, those who reported poor sleep patterns or other sleep problems. Sleep problems including insomnia, heavy snoring, too much or too little sleep, frequent daytime sleepiness had a 22 percent higher risk.
Study participants who reported sleeping less than seven hours at night and napping more than 30 minutes daily had the highest risk for cardiovascular disease.
In addition, they also had a 47 percent higher likelihood of risk than those who reported the optimal amount of sleep and no naps.
Instead of trying to replace nighttime naps with daytime naps, people should try to develop healthier sleep habits that allow them to get the optimal amount of sleep at night, says St-Onge.
This includes ensuring the sleeping environment is not too hot, cold or too noisy. Reducing exposure to bright light before bed, not eating too late at night, getting enough exercise during the day and eating a healthy diet also helps.
Even if sleep time is lost at night, excessive naps are not recommended during the day, Xu says.
If people continue to have trouble getting enough sleep, they should consult a health care professional to find out why, he said.