Do you could have the habit of taking long siestas? Perhaps it’s time to cut down, as recent research has found that taking long midday naps can increase the danger of obesity, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome.

The word siesta means the sixth hour, which indicates the period through the day when people in lots of countries resembling Spain and other Mediterranean countries take a break from work to get a midday nap.

Listed below are some known advantages of taking a siesta:

• Reduce sleep debt: Health experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep. Nevertheless, in lots of cases, people may miss out on sleep, which causes sleep debt. Taking midday naps helps fight fatigue and sleepiness attributable to lack of sleep.
• Improves memory: Taking naps helps to enhance cognitive performance and boost memory.
• Helps in handling stress: Studies have shown that naps can improve the brain’s ability to consolidate memories and regulate emotions which may help in higher handling stress.
• Improves alertness: Proper rest helps to enhance alertness, response time, and efficiency in people

Nevertheless, researchers say the advantages of midday naps rely on the duration of the nap. Naps lasting longer than half-hour could cause sleep inertia, a sense of grogginess, and delayed response time.

The brand new study evaluated greater than 3,000 adults from a Mediterranean population to know how the duration of siestas affects overall health.

“A previous study that we conducted in a big study population within the UK found that siestas were related to an increased risk of obesity. We wanted to find out whether this may 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, a senior creator of the study said, News Medical reported.

Researchers found that those that took midday naps for half-hour or longer were more more likely to have a better body mass index, higher blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome-a range of conditions that occur together, increasing the danger of heart disease, stroke, and sort 2 diabetes.

The study also found that folks who take short siestas or “power naps,” didn’t have an increased risk for obesity and metabolic alterations, Medical Dialogues reported.

“Not all siestas are the identical. The length of time, the position of sleep, and other specific aspects can affect the health outcomes of a nap,” Garaulet added.

“This study shows the importance of considering siesta length and raises the query of 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 the benefits of shorter siestas, I feel 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,” co-author Frank Scheer said.

With so many aspects that may disrupt your sleep, it’s difficult to get deep sleep or a full eight hours of sleep every night.
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Published by Medicaldaily.com