A new study suggests that long naps and excessive daytime sleepiness are linked to an increased risk of different health problems, such as heart disease.
While getting enough sleep is key to health, a new study suggests that long daytime naps may not be doing your heart any favors.
The researchers found that long naps and excessive daytime sleepiness were associated with an increased risk for a combination of health problems that are collectively known as metabolic syndrome. And that can boost the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Metabolic syndrome includes conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and excess fat around the waist.
The investigators analyzed the findings of 21 studies that included a total of more than 307,000 people. The research showed that people who napped for less than 40 minutes were not at increased risk for metabolic syndrome. In fact, those who napped less than 30 minutes had a slight decrease in risk.
But there was a sharp rise in risk among those who napped for more than 40 minutes, the study authors said. For example, napping for more than 90 minutes appeared to increase the risk of metabolic syndrome by as much as 50 percent, as did excessive daytime sleepiness.
