Cheeky 12pm habit Aussies need to stop

A grim new study has found a link between a common daily sleep habit and future health risks, including an increased risk of death.

A recent study has shown that napping during certain hours of the day could be associated with an increased risk of death.

According to the research published in the journal Sleep, data from wearable activity trackers showed that nap duration and timing were related to increased all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older adults.

Specifically, naps taken around the middle of the day were linked to a higher risk of death.

This development brings scientists closer to understanding whether certain napping habits should raise concerns about a person’s health.

Midday naps are linked to mortality, a new study has shown. Picture: iStock

“Our study fills a gap in knowledge by showing that not just whether someone naps, but how long, how variable, and when they nap during the day may be meaningful indicators of future health risk,” said lead study author Chenlu Gao, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told Health.

“Past studies have relied on self-reported nap habits, which are subject to recall bias.”

Study links naps with mortality

According to Mrs Gao, numerous studies have explored the link between night-time sleep and mortality.

However, she and her colleagues have “long been interested in understanding daytime napping and its impact on health”.

“We saw a critical need to investigate whether objectively assessed napping behaviours are associated with longevity,” she explained.

The team analysed data from 86,565 non-shift working adults, aged 43 to 79 (with an average of 63), who were part of the UK Biobank, a comprehensive biomedical database.

Fifty-seven per cent of these participants were women.

The research studied middle-aged and older participants. Picture: iStock

They wore a device that tracked their rest and activity levels for seven days, with napping defined as any sleep occurring between 9am and 7pm.

During the 11-year follow-up period, 5819 of the study participants had died.

Researchers identified a higher risk of death associated with three factors: longer naps, greater day-to-day variability in nap length, and more naps around noon and early afternoon.

These associations remained true even after adjusting for factors such as body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, and overnight sleep duration.

While the study established a correlation between different napping habits and mortality, it is crucial to note that it did not prove that napping causes an increased risk of death.

It is also uncertain whether these findings apply to the general population.

It’s unknown if these findings apply to the general population. Picture: iStock

Why might napping be linked to mortality?

Currently, as there is no definitive evidence that naps directly cause increased mortality, sleep experts are examining the research for clues — and some suggest that the underlying reasons for napping may be more relevant.

Sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea or medical conditions that drain energy, like heart disease, could actually be the underlying cause of the nap-mortality connection.

The study did attempt to account for lifestyle factors, but it remains difficult to control for undiagnosed medical conditions.

Other experts propose that long, irregular midday naps could influence health by disrupting circadian rhythms, which are the body’s internal sleep-wake cycles.

This disruption could affect various factors that influence mortality, such as inflammation, metabolism, and cardiovascular health.

Should we nap?

If you feel the need to nap, experts recommend aiming for less than 30 minutes, as this allows you to feel refreshed and energised without experiencing grogginess.

Napping earlier in the day can also help prevent your nap from interfering with your ability to sleep at night.

If you find yourself napping more frequently or for longer periods, you should consult your doctor.