A recent study revealed that the need to snooze before sunset may be linked to a higher mortality risk after reaching the middle to an older age.
For the study, researchers assessed data from more than 86,000 elderly individuals who wore small devices that tracked their sleep patterns between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
The median nap duration was 0.40 hours per day – or about 24 minutes. 9 a.m. – 11a.m. was the most popular nap time and 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. was found to be the least popular.
Over 11 years of follow-up, more than 5,000 participants died. People who took prolonged naps, had irregular daytime sleep timings, and slept more in the afternoon were at higher chances of death.
The researchers stated that adding nap assessments to medical exams may assist detect individuals at an increased mortality risk and lead to interventions that foster longevity.
The lead author stated, “The data that shows risks associated with napping around midday and early afternoon contradicts what we currently know about napping, so further research on that link could be warranted.”
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises healthy adults to limit naps to less than 20-30 minutes in afternoon.
