Afternoon siestas could potentially indicate health concerns
Updated Article:
Sleeping Habits and Mortality: What You Need to Know
- Sleeping well isn't just about logging enough hours at night. It's also about the quality of sleep and your napping habits during the day.
- When it comes to daytime snoozing, less might be more. A recent study suggests that napping too much or at the wrong time could increase your risk of death.
- The study, conducted on middle-aged and older adults, found that frequent, long, and midday naps are linked to a higher risk of death from any cause.
- This research was presented at the SLEEP 2025 conference and analyzed by experts in the field.
- Experts say that these napping patterns could be a sign of underlying health issues, such as disrupted circadian rhythms or chronic health conditions like cardiovascular or metabolic diseases.
- While more research is needed to confirm the causality, it's clear that napping is not just about catching up on lost sleep. It's about maintaining overall health and reducing the risk of mortality.
The UK Biobank study
The study analyzed data from 86,565 participants, with an average age of 63. Over the course of 8 years, 3.4% of participants died. The researchers looked at the frequency, duration, and timing of daytime naps to identify potential associations with mortality.
They found that participants who died were more likely to take longer naps, have more variation in their nap times, and nap more frequently around midday (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
What does this mean for you?
If you're relying on daytime naps to make up for lost sleep at night, it's important to keep the duration and frequency in check. Short, irregular naps might not be as harmful as longer, more frequent naps, particularly in the afternoon.
Expert advice
- Establish a consistent sleep schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
- Limit caffeine and alcohol: These substances can disrupt your sleep and make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep.
- Create a calming bedtime routine: Avoid screens and overstimulation for at least an hour before bedtime.
- Increase daytime exposure to natural light: This can help regulate your circadian rhythms and improve sleep quality.
- Manage medical conditions: If you have a health condition like pain, heart failure, or respiratory issues, consider speaking to a healthcare professional about how it may affect your sleep.
- Treat underlying sleep disorders: If you're struggling with poor sleep quality, consider being evaluated for sleep disorders like sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome.
- Exercise regularly: Regular exercise can help improve sleep quality and duration. However, avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime, as it might interfere with sleep.
Final thoughts
Daytime napping can be a valuable tool for making up for lost sleep, but it's important to be mindful of your napping habits. Excessive, irregular, or midday napping might be a sign of underlying health issues and could increase your risk of death. By following the expert advice and establishing good sleep habits, you can maintain healthier, longer sleep and reduce your risk of mortality.
- As we age, maintaining good 'cardiovascular-health' and 'skinc conditions' are crucial for overall 'health-and-wellness', in addition to focusing on sleep.
- 'Seniors' often face various 'medical-conditions' and 'chronic-diseases', such as 'chronic-kidney-disease' or 'cancer', which can adversely impact 'sleep', particularly 'respiratory-conditions'.
- 'Mental-health' is another essential aspect of aging and longevity that needs due attention, as it can affect sleep quality and duration.
- 'Generalhealth' plays a significant role in our sleep, making it essential to manage underlying health conditions effectively to ensure better sleep quality.
- The study highlights that managing 'chronic-diseases' and maintaining 'eye-health' can positively influence sleep patterns and mortality.
- Besides 'sleeping hours', keeping a routine for 'sleeping schedule' and following expert advice on 'health-and-wellness' and 'sleep' can lead to better sleep and lower the risk of mortality.
- It's equally important to address 'sleep disorders', such as 'sleep apnea' or 'restless legs syndrome', for improving sleep quality and reducing the risk of mortality associated with poor sleep.
- Regular 'exercise' can be beneficial for improving 'cardiovascular-health', 'mental-health', 'skinc conditions', and overall 'health-and-wellness', contributing to better sleep quality and durations.
