A Midday nap a day keeps heart problems away

Researchers have found that afternoon naps can cut down the risk of death from heart diseases significantly, 37% less risk for non working and 64% among working men, and claim that such siestas ameliorate health by reducing stress which is the main cause of heart problems.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of Athens Medical School (UAMS) in Greece published their study on Monday in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine confirming the facts by examining more than 23000 Greek men and woman aged 20 to 86 who took a midday nap of 30 minutes or more at least three times a week.

All information regarding the sleeping patterns, health problems or any other serious illness of these volunteers was taken and was followed for over six years. During this period around 792 of them died - including 133 from heart disease.

The study concluded that nappers who took midday naps, regardless of any frequency and duration had a 34% lower risk of dying from a heart attack than people who did not take naps at all and those who took naps of more than 30 minutes three or more times a week had a 37% lower risk.

Working men benefited to the extent of 64% lower risk of heart diseases from napping as compared to a 36% reduced risk among non-working men.
"If you have a siesta, it conveys a benefit against coronary mortality, which is considerable," said senior author Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, a professor of cancer prevention and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles also added that there is a need to confirm these findings on a large scale before recommending them and till then individuals wanting to lower their cardiovascular risk should keep away from proscribed things like smoking and should exercise regularly to maintain a healthy blood pressure, body weight and cholesterol levels.
With the increase in awareness of the benefits of a midday nap various countries have encouraged siestas on working days. Countries like France, Japan and UK have arranged for special rooms, sleep salons and snooze pods for their employees.

Apart from keeping away from heart problems, midday naps may also enhance a person’s capacity to learn certain tasks. They are known to strengthen the ability to pay close attention to details and to make critical decisions.

Research on napping suggests that an afternoon nap as short as ten minutes, known as power nap can enhance alertness, mood and mental performance especially after a poor nights sleep.