Naps

In one study, those who took naps for about half an hour at least three times weekly had a 37 per cent lower risk of dying from heart attacks or other heart problems than those who did not nap.

Typically, naps in studies are brief periods of daytime sleep lasting an hour or less.

The study that found the effect on cardiovascular conditions was led by Dimitrios Trichopoulos, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, who led the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

According to the research team, napping might benefit the heart by reducing stress.

For many, reducing key stresses is one of the cornerstones of a comprehensive anti aging regimen.

Some researchers think that stress might be directly involved in the aging process, through unhealthy effects of stress hormones, or indirectly by causing people to exercise less, overeat or smoke.

Also, in studies, naps have been found to improve alertness, productivity and mood, as well as aids in long term memory retention.

Naps - Studies

Androniki Naska, Eleni Oikonomou, Antonia Trichopoulou, Theodora Psaltopoulou, Dimitrios Trichopoulos. Siestas of Health Adults and Coronary Mortality in the General Population. Archives of Internal Medicine, Feb. 12, 2007.

Sara C. Mednick, Ken Nakayama, Jose L. Cantero, Mercedes Atienza, Alicia A. Levin, Neha Pathak and Robert Stickgold. The restorative effect of naps onperceptual deterioration. Published online: 28 May 2002, doi:10.1038/nn864.

Takahashi, M. & Arito, H. Maintenance of alertness and performance by abrief nap after lunch under prior sleep deficit. Sleep 23, 813–819 (2000).

Bonnet, M. H. & Arand, D. L. Impact of naps and caffeine on extendednocturnal performance. Physiol. Behav. 56, 103–109 (1994).

Bonnet, M. H. The effect of varying prophylactic naps on performance,alertness and mood throughout a 52-hour continuous operation. Sleep 14,307–315 (1991).

Rosa, R. R. Napping at home and alertness on the job in rotating shiftworkers. Sleep 16, 727–735 (1993).

Horne, J. A. & Reyner, L. A. Counteracting driver sleepiness: effects of napping, caffeine, and placebo. Psychophysiology 33, 306–309 (1996).

Harma, M., Knauth, P. & Ilmarinen, J. Daytime napping and its effects onalertness and short-term memory performance in shiftworkers. Int. Arch. Occupational Environ. Health 61, 341–345 (1989).

Taub, J. M. Effects of habitual variations in napping on psychomotorperformance, memory and subjective states. Int. J. Neurosci. 9, 97–112(1979).


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