Study finds frequent daytime naps linked to poorer health, higher mortality risk

People, worlwide encourage daytime naps or short nap breaks during work or daily chores while new study reveals the opposite and it may decline health as nap can affect to different human differently.

In the study, published in JAMA Network Open on April 20, researchers found morning naps as well as longer and more frequent naps were associated with higher all-cause mortality rates in adults with an average age of 81.

The study, led by investigators from Mass General Brigham and Rush University Medical Center, used data from more than 1,300 adults aged 56 years or older over about 19 years.

"While brief naps can immediately alleviate fatigue and improve alertness," the authors write, "excessive napping in late life has been linked to adverse health outcomes, including neurodegeneration, cardiovascular diseases and even greater morbidity."

The findings suggest there is "immense clinical value in tracking napping patterns to catch health conditions early," the authors added, but noted this is correlation not causation.

While previous findings relied on self-reported napping habits and left out metrics like when and how regular those naps were, the latest study is one of the first to show an association between objectively measured nap patterns − via wearable devices − and mortality, according to the authors.

"Excessive napping is likely indicating underlying disease, chronic conditions, sleep disturbances or circadian dysregulation," said lead author Chenlu Gao, an investigator in the Department of Anesthesiology in the Mass General Brigham.

"Now that we know there is a strong correlation between napping patterns and mortality rates, we can make the case to implement wearable daytime nap assessments to predict health conditions and prevent further decline."

After studying the data collected by wearable devices worn by the study's participants, researchers found that those who took long and frequent naps faced increased mortality rates.

The study found that morning nappers, compared to afternoon nappers, may have “more underlying health issues.”

 Additionally, daytime nappers could face a higher mortality risk due to systemic inflammation, which has been commonly associated with several chronic conditions.