Napping is good for your heart, according to research from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Athens Medical School in Greece.
Researchers followed 23,681 individuals living in Greece for more than 6 years. More than half the study group (13,400) took regular midday naps. Daytime siestas are common in the Mediterranean region and several Latin American countries, and those countries also tend to have low mortality rates from coronary heart disease.
After controlling for coronary risk factors such as diet and physical activity, the results showed that people who regularly took siestas, defined by the researchers as napping at least 3 times per week for an average of at least 30 minutes, had a 37 percent lower coronary mortality than those not taking siestas. Napping on 1 or 2 days a week resulted in a 12 percent reduction in coronary mortality.
Siestas Reduce Stress
The authors of the study believe that an afternoon siesta may relieve stress enough to partially counteract the short- and long-term adverse effects stress has on the rate of (and death from) coronary heart disease. The fact that the results were more evident among working men compared to retirees apparently reflects the different stress levels these subgroups have to cope with.
The public health message is clear: If you are able to take a midday nap, do so. Of course, most jobs in the United States are structured so you cannot nap during your break time. Instead, use that time to walk briskly, then take a nap after you get home from work. If you have a job that offers flexible hours, see if you can set aside a few minutes for a midday “siesta” by coming in to work earlier or leaving later. |
