Researchers have revealed that a common daytime habit may be an indicator of underlying health problems in older adults, and is linked to an increased risk of death.
A recent study suggests that frequent daytime sleepiness, particularly long naps or those occurring in the morning hours, may be an indicator of underlying health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, neurological deterioration, or sleep disorders.
The study followed more than 1,300 older adults for up to 19 years as part of a research project that began in 1997 in the United States. During the study, participants used wrist-worn devices to monitor their activity and rest patterns, allowing researchers to accurately track naps in terms of duration, frequency, and timing.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, showed a link between napping patterns and mortality rates. Longer naps were associated with an increased risk of death of approximately 13% for each additional hour taken daily, while more frequent naps were associated with an increased risk of about 7% for each additional nap. Morning naps were also found to be associated with higher mortality rates compared to naps taken at other times of day.
In contrast, the study did not show that irregular napping is associated with a clear increase in risk.
Lead researcher Dr. Chenleo Gao of Massachusetts General Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital explains that these findings do not mean that napping directly causes death, but may reflect underlying health problems or disruptions to the biological clock in older adults.
She adds that the importance of these findings lies in the possibility of using nap pattern tracking as an early tool to help monitor health changes and intervene before they worsen.
According to studies, between 20% and 60% of older adults take naps during the day, and while this may be beneficial in some cases, excessive napping may require attention and medical follow-up.
