We all enjoy taking naps occasionally and probably need one. According to research, excessive napping is something we should avoid because it may actually increase the likelihood of dying sooner.
People who nap frequently have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and stroke, according to research published in the American Heart Association journal.
According to research released by the American Heart Association on Monday of this week, people who nap frequently are more likely to experience life-threatening conditions than those who don’t.
People who nap on the majority of days are 24 percent more likely to experience a stroke than people who don’t nap on the majority of days, according to geriatric researchers at Central South University in Hunan, China, who examined the sleeping patterns and health records of about 360000 people in the UK.
Because they took naps frequently, survey respondents from the UK Biobank had a 12 percent higher chance of developing hypertension.
Findings from the study also revealed that those over 60 who frequently napped had a 20% higher risk of being diagnosed with high blood pressure than those who were more active.
Sleep patterns matter
AHA president Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, who is also chair of the department of preventive health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, stated at the time that “sleep is related to every single one of the other seven elements — it’s closely tied to weight, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and what we choose to eat.”
In fact, sleep patterns have such a significant impact on health that according to the New York Post, “AHA now considers sleep duration one of their eight markers for cardiovascular health, alongside diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, weight, cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure,”