(ETX Daily Up) – Is napping good or bad for your health? A vast subject that has spawned a host of scientific studies, sometimes contradictory, which attempt to determine the benefits of this short rest initially taken after lunch. The latest looked at the benefits of napping on cognitive functions and brain volume. And the results could encourage many men and women to indulge in this typical habit of the Mediterranean art of living.
Some struggle to fall asleep after a busy day, tossing and turning tirelessly in bed unable to fall asleep, while others have the ability to rest anywhere and anytime, just by closing your eyes, even if only for a few minutes. According to a new study by researchers from University College London (UCL) and the Universidad de la Republica de Montevideo, Uruguay, they may be more quick-witted as they age thanks to these short periods of rest which would play a role in the health of their brain.
Published in the journal Sleep Health, their work is based on a large panel of 35,080 people aged 40 to 69 from UK Biobank data. The researchers first analyzed the participants’ responses as to how often they took naps during the day, i.e. regularly, sometimes, rarely or never, then checked them via sleep trackers. Their genetic profile was then carried out using data from previous studies, then the scientists determined which people took regular naps based on 92 genetic differences, then looked at their brain size.
And the results, it must be admitted, are surprising to say the least. They suggest in particular that the volume of the brain of people who regularly indulge in the art of napping was greater (15.80 cm3 on average), compared to that of those who do not rest, or hardly any, during of the day. Assuming that the brain declines, or shrinks, 0.2% to 0.5% per year from the age of 35, researchers estimate that people who nap regularly could benefit from a brain that is 2 years younger. ,6 to 6.5 years. The scientists specify: “This difference is approximately equivalent to the difference in brain volume between people with normal cognitive functions and those with mild cognitive impairment”.
It should however be specified that the researchers evoke “short naps” without specifying the duration or the frequency at which men and women should indulge in them to derive real benefits from them. But the study confirms that such moments of rest, if they are regular, allow in the long term to preserve the health of the brain, and reaffirms in particular that the benefits appear after a nap of 5 to 15 minutes.
Note, however, that a previous scientific study, conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and published last April, revealed that taking long naps could be harmful to health. It is precisely naps lasting more than 30 minutes that would increase the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome. The nap would therefore be beneficial for health provided you do not enjoy it for too long.