Naps Associated With Increased Risk Of Death

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 5, 2025 — An afternoon snooze might seem appealing to middle-aged folks and seniors, but these naps could carry a high cost.

People with certain types of napping patterns have a greater risk of an early death, researchers are slated to report at an upcoming meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

“People who slept longer during the day, had irregular daytime sleep patterns, or slept more around midday and early afternoon were at greater risk, even after accounting for health and lifestyle factors,” lead researcher Chenlu Gao, a postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said in a news release.

The findings call into question the whole concept of the "power nap."

For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 86,500 people participating in the UK Biobank long-term health research project.

These folks had their sleep habits monitored for a week using wrist devices, and researchers compared those habits to death records. Their average age was 63 at the time their napping was tracked.

Nearly 5,200 people died during a follow-up of 11 years, researchers said.

Results showed an increased risk of premature death for:

  • People who tended to take longer daytime naps.
  • Folks whose napping patterns fluctuated frequently.
  • People who napped between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

    • This last observation contradicts AASM guidelines, which encourages adults to limit themselves to “power naps” of no more than 20 to 30 minutes in the early afternoon, researchers noted.

    Naps that last longer than a half-hour can cause grogginess that undercuts the potential helpfulness of a siesta, researchers said.

    “Interestingly, the data that shows risks associated with napping around midday and early afternoon contradicts what we currently know about napping, so further research on that link could be warranted,” Gao said.

    Gao is to present these findings Wednesday during the AASM's annual meeting in Seattle.

    Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

    Sources

  • American Academy of Sleep Medicine, news release, June 5, 2025

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2025-06-06 00:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords