Image Via
Naps have a bad reputation, being associated with laziness in anyone over the age of 10. Fear not nap lovers, a study has released saying that afternoon naps for adults leads to a lower risk of having a heart attack.
The British Medical Journal Heart released a study involving 3400 people on how naps affect their health. Participants ages 35-75 were monitored in the University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland, having their naps examined. Napping frequency and average nap duration were used to look at the relationship of having a heart attack or stroke. The study found that out of 155 heart attacks or strokes, taking an afternoon nap twice a week cut the chance of having one by 48%. This leaves a nap sounding pretty good right about now.
Dr. Nadine Hausler, leading author of the study, stated the conclusion:
“This association held true after taking account of potentially influential factors, such as age, and night-time sleep duration, as well as other cardiovascular disease risks, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol….And it didn’t change after factoring in excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, and regularly sleeping for at least six hours a night.”
By itself, napping has wonderful benefits, and may ultimately save your life. Compromising your health is definitely not worth trying to constantly look productive. We should all take naps a couple of times a week, and let anyone who judges know what they’re missing.
Wanting to make some more healthy changes to your life? Check out the daily habits you should use to better your health.
