I’ve always had trouble getting to sleep, and trying to do so during the day is even harder for me. As a consequence, I have never been much of a nap person. But I am envious of my friends who can lie down in the middle of the day, snooze for a bit, and wake up feeling refreshed.
Napping is often a point of confusion for many. Is napping good for you or is it actually an unhealthy habit? Findings presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in 2015 provide some evidence for the former.
Could taking a midday nap help your heart health?
Researchers from Greece presented the findings of their study on napping at the 2015 European Society of Cardiology Congress.[1] They followed 386 middle-aged men and women who had hypertension.
The researchers recorded how long people slept during the day, measured blood pressure, and evaluated heart health with numerous tests.
After adjusting for factors like age, gender, weight, and lifestyle habits, the results showed that people who took naps during the day had lower systolic blood pressure compared to those people who didn’t sleep during the day.
Average systolic blood pressure was 6 mmHg lower in nappers compared to non-nappers, a 5% difference. The study also found that the longer people slept during the day, the lower their blood pressure levels were.
Other findings from the study implied that napping might protect the arteries and heart from the damage caused by high blood pressure.
People who napped also were on fewer blood pressure lowering medications; avoiding the use of antihypertensives is highly desirable, as these medications can cause serious side effects. Read about the dangers of ACE inhibitors here and the side effects of diuretics here.
Healthy napping habits
If your schedule allows it and you enjoy it, napping can be part of a healthy lifestyle. But before you start napping during the day, there are a few important things to be aware of.
While napping can help you to reenergize, feel better, and maybe even lower your blood pressure, if done improperly it may make you feel worse; too long or poorly timed naps can make you more groggy and interfere with your nighttime sleep, for example.
Healthy naps are those that are done in the afternoon, and which last no longer than about 30 minutes. Aim for a nap somewhere around 2 or 3 pm in a comfortable, quiet place. When waking, give yourself a few minutes to adjust before resuming your activities.
If you find that your napping habits are making you groggy or are making it harder to sleep at night, adjust the timing and lengths of your naps.
To learn how to manage high blood pressure with diet, download our free report, The Best DIY High Blood Pressure Diet: The Top 8 Foods to Lower Blood Pressure.
Share your experience
Do you nap? Do you notice any health benefits of doing so? Share your napping tips and experience in the comments section below.
[1] European Society of Cardiology Press Release. 2015 Aug 29.
The post Is Napping Good for You? Midday Naps May Lower Blood Pressure appeared first on Natural Health Advisory.
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