If your afternoon naps often last more than half an hour, you could be on the road to an early death, new research suggests.
A study by experts at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston also found that napping during the midday to early afternoon hours is associated with a higher risk of dying early.
This contradicts advice from the NHS and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which recommend short naps after midday and before mid-afternoon.
Also, large variations in nap duration from day to day pose higher health risks.
The researchers, who analyzed nearly 90,000 people, found that these troubling associations remained valid even after factors such as age, gender, body weight, smoking, alcohol use and sleep time were taken into account.
While experts aren't entirely sure why these three napping habits are linked to early mortality, there are several possible explanations.
It may be that longer or irregular naps are a sign of hidden health problems, or that this sleep pattern disrupts the body's natural rhythm.
Other studies have shown that poor sleep patterns can be an indicator of other health problems such as depression, diabetes, and heart disease.
This new study followed the health status of 86,000 adults with an average age of 63 for an 11-year period.
For a week during the study, participants were equipped with health monitoring devices to record their sleep habits.
During the 11-year follow-up period, 5,189 people — or 6% of the group — died.
Although the results showed that those with specific napping habits were more likely to die, the scientists cautioned that the study cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
Previous studies have raised concerns about the risks posed by napping.
Earlier this year, a study found that long daytime naps could increase the risk of stroke by almost a quarter.
Studies suggest that around one in five people in the UK regularly nap, although the habit is more prevalent among those who sleep just five hours or less a night.
For a healthy adult, the NHS recommends seven to nine hours of sleep a night, but age, health and personal circumstances influence the amount of sleep needed. /Express newspaper/
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