- Researchers say people who take daytime naps of more than 30 minutes appear to have a higher risk of obesity and high blood pressure.
- They noted that people who take shorter naps are less likely to have elevated blood pressure.
- Experts say longer naps may be a factor in these conditions because they can cause disruptions in nighttime eating habits as well as sleep patterns.
Researchers say midday naps of more than 30 minutes may be connected to higher body mass index, higher blood pressure, and conditions associated with heart disease and diabetes.
However, what many call “power naps” – a midday sleep session of 30 minutes or less – were less likely to have elevated blood pressure.
In a new
The researchers examined the relationship of siestas and their duration with obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Researchers reported that people taking siestas of 30 minutes or longer were more likely to have a higher body mass index, higher blood pressure, and other conditions associated with heart disease and diabetes compared to people who took no naps.
In addition, those taking short naps were less likely to show elevated systolic blood pressure than those who took no siestas.
“Not all siestas are the same,” Marta Garaulet, PhD, MS, a senior study author and a visiting professor in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said in a statement. “The length of time, position of sleep, and other specific factors can affect the health outcomes of a nap.”
Garaulet said the team did a previous study in the United Kingdom that found siestas were associated with an increased risk of obesity. The next step was to look at siestas in a country where midday naps were a bigger part of the culture.
“In this case, Spain, as well…
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