Woman napping.Photo:Getty
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Taking regular naps can be beneficial for one’s brain, a new study says — and make it larger for longer!
According to researchers from University College London and University of the Republic in Uruguay, brain health can be preserved from daytime napping, which also can slow the rate at which one’s brain shrinks.
To come to the conclusion, scientists analyzed data from participants between the ages of 40 to 69.The study was published in the journalSleep Health.
“We are suggesting that everybody could potentially experience some benefit from napping,” Dr. Victoria Garfield toldBBC, adding that the findings are “very new and very exciting.”
Napping is vital for infant development but decreases as we age. After retirement, around27% of individuals over 65 napduring the day. While the impact of napping on preventing diseases like Alzheimer’s is uncertain, further research is needed. Brain shrinkage is a natural part of aging, and maintaining good overall brain health is crucial in guarding againstdementia, which is associated with poor sleep quality. Researchers propose that inadequate sleep may lead to brain inflammation and disruptions in neural connections over time.
Scientists conducted a natural experiment based on our DNA that we inherit at birth. Previous studies have identified 97 bits of our DNA that make us more likely to be nappers or non-nappers. In the UK Biobank project, they analyzed data from 35,000 people from 40 to 69 and compared those who had the genetic “napper” and “non-napper” traits.
“I like short naps on the weekends and this study has convinced me that I shouldn’t feel lazy napping. It may even be protecting my brain,” Prof Tara Spires-Jones, from the University of Edinburgh and the president of the British Neuroscience Association, told the BBC.
She said the study was “interesting” and showed a “small but significant increase in brain volume." She added that it “adds to the data indicating that sleep is important for brain health."
The researchers did not directly study having a big sleep in the middle of the day, but they said the science suggested a limit of half an hour. The advice: take naps, but make them shorter than 30 minutes, as longer naps may have negative effects.
Dr. Margaret Blattner, clinical instructor, department of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,previously told PEOPLEthat habitual daytime naps can indicate problems with the quality of nighttime sleep or even overall health.
“Frequent or prolonged daytime naps can disrupt healthy nighttime sleep. Napping during the day may make it harder to fall asleep at night or cause nighttime sleep to become fragmented,” Blattner said. “Missing out on nighttime sleep — either because busy schedules don’t allow sufficient sleep opportunity, or because of a problem with the quality of sleep itself — can cause severe daytime sleepiness.”
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Quality sleep is healthy and restorative for the body, Blattner said, so a change in sleep habits, either needing more sleep at night or naps during the day, might signal an underlying health problem.
“Often, prolonged naps are less restorative than more brief daytime naps, people often wake up unrefreshed or “groggy” after a long nap,” she adds. “Additionally, long daytime naps take away time from other healthy things that people enjoy during the day: spending time with family, enjoying hobbies, and exercise.”
source: people.com
