Through data-analysis, researchers found that individuals taking long siestas had higher body mass indexes and were more more likely to have metabolic syndrome than those that didn’t take siestas.

It’s a typical custom in some countries for people to take a siesta or midday nap. Sleeping through the middle of the day has the potential to affect sleep quality, cognitive function, and metabolic processes. Nonetheless, the connection between siestas and metabolic health is just not well understood. A recent study led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, assessed greater than 3,000 adults from a Mediterranean population, examining the connection of siestas and siesta duration with obesity and metabolic syndrome. The researchers found that those that took siestas of half-hour or longer (long siestas) were more more likely to have a better body mass index, higher blood pressure, and a cluster of other conditions related to heart disease and diabetes (metabolic syndrome) in comparison with those without siestas. Nonetheless, for many who had short siestas, also generally known as “power naps,” this increased risk for obesity and metabolic alterations was not present. In contrast, short siesta-takers were less more likely to have elevated systolic blood pressure than those that took no siestas. The team’s results are published in Obesity.

“Not all siestas are the identical. The length of time, position of sleep, and other specific aspects can affect the health outcomes of a nap,” said senior creator Marta Garaulet, PhD, a visiting professor within the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

A previous study that we conducted in a big study population within the UK had found that siestas were related to an increased risk of obesity. We wanted to find out whether this might hold true in a rustic where siestas are more culturally embedded, on this case Spain, in addition to how the length of time for siestas is said to metabolic health.”

Marta Garaulet, PhD, Visiting Professor in Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Obesity is a growing health concern affecting over one billion people world wide. Fat accumulation within the body is connected to how food is digested during metabolic processes. Understanding how lifestyle decisions, akin to taking siestas, affect these metabolic mechanisms could help researchers find out how habits influence health.

The researchers examined data from 3,275 adults in a Mediterranean population, specifically people from the Spanish region of Murcia. Baseline metabolic characteristics were measured for the participants on the University of Murcia and a survey on siestas collected additional details regarding their naps and other lifestyle aspects. This resulted within the categories of no siestas, shorter than half-hour, and longer than half-hour.

The research team found that long siesta-takers had a better body mass index and were more more likely to have metabolic syndrome (MetS) than those that didn’t take siestas. Moreover, compared with the no-siesta group, the long siesta group had higher values of waist circumference, fasting glucose levels, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure. The researchers found that long siestas were related to later nightly sleep timing and food timing, with increased energy intake at lunch and cigarette smoking, and with the placement of siestas (a bed vs. a settee), which can explain the upper risks related to longer duration siestas.

While that is an observational study and it is feasible that some aspects could also be a consequence of obesity and never siestas per se, a previous study of the information collected within the UK Biobank pointed to a causal relationship between napping and obesity, particularly with abdominal obesity, essentially the most detrimental form. In the present study, the authors found quite a lot of statistically significant lifestyle aspects mediating the association between siestas and health measures. The outcomes of the study call for future research to research whether a brief siesta is advantageous over an extended one, particularly for people with habits akin to having delayed meals and sleep schedules, or for many who smoke.

“This study shows the importance of considering siesta length and raises the query whether short naps may offer unique advantages. Many institutions are realizing the advantages of short naps, mostly for work productivity, but additionally increasingly for general health. If future studies further substantiate some great benefits of shorter siestas, I believe that that could possibly be the driving force behind the uncovering of optimal nap durations, and a cultural shift in the popularity of the long-term health effects and productivity increases that may amount from this lifestyle behavior,” said co-author Frank Scheer, PhD, a senior neuroscientist and professor within the Medical Chronobiology Program within the Brigham’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders.

Source:

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Journal reference:

Vizmanos, B., et al. (2023). Lifestyle mediators of associations amongst siestas, obesity, and metabolic health. Obesity. doi.org/10.1002/oby.23765.