Long naps may be bad for health

Many believe that lying down for a snooze is a harmless activity. But today, scientists show that drifting off for more than one hour could be risky.

Daytime napping is common all over the world and is generally considered a healthy habit. A common view is that napping improves performance and counteracts the negative consequences of ‘sleep debt’.

Previous research on the link between daytime naps and death or cardiovascular disease has produced conflicting results. In addition, it did not account for the duration of night-time sleep.

This study summarised the available evidence to assess the relationship between napping and the risks of all-cause death and cardiovascular disease. A total of 313,651 participants from more than 20 studies were included in the analysis. Some 39% of participants took naps.

The analysis found that long naps (more than 60 mins) were associated with a 30% greater risk of all-cause death and 34% higher likelihood of cardiovascular disease compared to no napping. When night-time sleep was taken into account, long naps were linked with an elevated risk of death only in those who slept more than six hours per night.

Release date: 26 August 2020