Taking a nap may help boost your energy in the short run, but over time daily siestas can shorten your life span, new British research shows.
In a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, a team of scientists from the University of Cambridge has determined middle-age and older adults who take short daytime naps far more likely to die early than those who don't.
The findings — based more than 16,000 Brits who were surveyed about their napping habits and tracked for 13 years — indicated those who reported daily naps lasting less than an hour were 14 percent more likely to die over the course of the study, compared to those who did not nap. People who took daily naps lasting an hour or more were 32 percent more likely to die over the study period, LiveScience reports.
The researchers accounted for other factors that could affect people's risk of death, such as their age, gender, body mass index (BMI), whether they smoked, how much they exercised, and whether they had certain pre-existing health conditions (such as diabetes, cancer, or asthma),
In particular, naps were linked with an increased risk of dying from respiratory disease. In addition, risks were highest among the younger people in the study, 40 and 65 years of age — who were nearly twice as likely as others to die during the study period if they napped for an hour or more.
"Further studies are needed before any recommendations can be made," the researchers, but added: "Excessive daytime napping might be a useful marker of underlying health risks, particularly respiratory problems, especially among those 65 years of age or younger."
Some studies have suggested short naps, of less than 30 minutes, can be beneficial, but the new study only examined the risks of naps lasting more or less than an hour.
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