Healthy nap
This is how a power nap protects your heart
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We love naps! They not only make you fit, but also strengthen our heart. However, only under certain conditions, as a new study shows.
After lunch, most of us are a little sleepy at first. No wonder: the body is busy with digestion in the midday low and our energy level sinks into the abyss. If you can, you will probably like to take a nap now. Doctors have long preached that this not only lifts your spirits, but also makes your head fit again. Many studies also suggest that a power nap can protect us from heart attacks and strokes. But is that always true? No! At least that’s what researchers at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland are now saying. Their new study has shown that that only a certain number of naps per week actually protects our heart.
Yes to nap – but in moderation
In total, the scientists examined data from 3,262 people over five years. The subjects were divided into groups – depending on how often they napped during the week. Most of the participants, namely 58 percent, didn’t even do one. Some took an afternoon nap once or twice a week (19 percent), twelve percent took three to five naps a week and 11 percent even slept briefly almost every day.
Surprising conclusion
The study result: Those who napped once or twice a week had a 48 percent lower risk of a heart attack or stroke – compared to the other groups. Second place went to the test subjects who did not sleep at all in between. And: Those who took naps almost every day, surprisingly, had the highest risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Study author Dr. Nadine Hausler and her team. The researchers had already included other factors that could influence the result in the study. All results were published in the British Medical Journal.
Midday nap against stress
The study shows that naps are healthy – but only in moderation. We have the best protection for our heart if we take a short afternoon nap once or twice a week. This also lowers our stress level and can, for example, compensate for bad sleep at night.
Reading tip: You can find out everything about sleep disorders here.