Is that short snooze detrimental to your health?
For some, there's nothing quite as refreshing as a midday nap. According to the National Sleep Foundation , a U.S. nonprofit organization, about one-third of American adults nap daily, while in some countries — such as Spain, Italy, Mexico and Greece — a quick afternoon siesta is a cultural tradition that dates back centuries. But is napping good for you?
Hans Van Dongen , the director of Washington State University's Sleep and Performance Research Center, agreed, but noted that napping could also be indicative of an underlying health issue. It’s also worth noting that observational studies have found that people who nap more frequently, on top of sufficient nighttime sleep, have higher mortality in observational studies. One 2019 study, published in the European Heart Journal , found that daytime napping is associated with increased risks of major cardiovascular events and deaths in those who get more than six hours of nighttime sleep, but not in those sleeping less than six hours per night.
A 2019 study published in the journal Science found that during sleep, the brain washes itself using a blend of cerebrospinal fluid — a clear, colorless fluid that flows in and around the brain and spinal cord — and blood. This process is thought to remove toxins and waste proteins that build up in the brain during the day, essentially refreshing the brain upon waking.
Van Dongen also said that while some naps are beneficial, others can leave people feeling far from fresh. This is known as sleep inertia, a physiological state of impaired cognitive performance that can occur in the immediate aftermath of both nighttime sleep and naps.
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