Emoji about sleep – Shutterstock
Many people resort to taking a mid-afternoon nap to help them get through the day, but it seems they have to be careful from now on.
Experts have discovered that a 30-minute nap each day may increase the risk of an irregular heartbeat and atrial fibrillation – a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heartbeat. It affects more than 40 million people worldwide, and sufferers have five times the risk of stroke compared to their peers.
To see if napping could be linked to the condition, the researchers analyzed data on more than 20,000 people who did not have an irregular heartbeat.
Participants filled out a questionnaire every two years and were categorized into three groups according to the average duration of daily naps – none, less than 30 minutes or 30 minutes and more. Compared to short sleepers during the day, those who nap for 30 minutes or more per day have nearly double the risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
Meanwhile, compared to short naps, the risk wasn’t as high for those who avoided naps.
perfect time
The results revealed that the ideal nap time seemed to be between 15 and 30 minutes, as these people had a 56% lower risk of developing an irregular heartbeat compared to those who nap for half an hour or more, according to the British Daily Mail.
For his part, Dr Diaz Gutierrez, from Juan Ramón Jimenez University Hospital in Spain, said: “Previous studies have indicated that sleep patterns may play a role in the development of atrial fibrillation, but to our knowledge, this was the first study to analyze the relationship between daytime napping and risk. Our study indicates that naps during the day should be limited to less than 30 minutes, and the results indicate that the optimal nap length is 15 to 30 minutes.”
Emoji about sleep – Shutterstock
Sleep disturbance during the night
He said there are several possible explanations for the relationship between napping and heart health. For example, a long daytime nap can disrupt the body’s internal clock, resulting in shorter nights of sleep, more frequent awakenings during the night, and less physical activity.
Meanwhile, short naps during the day may improve our body clock, lower blood pressure levels, and reduce stress.
He also indicated that people who suffer from sleep disturbances during the night should avoid relying on naps to compensate for the deficiency.