In an in-depth study on the link between naps and metabolic problems recently published in the scientific journal Obesity , a group of Spanish scientists discovered that sleep duration can directly affect our health, according to Euronews.
People who regularly take naps longer than 30 minutes tend to have a body mass index 2% higher than those who don't nap.
Specifically, research conducted on more than 3,000 Spanish people showed that people who regularly take naps longer than 30 minutes often have a body mass index (BMI) 2% higher than those who do not sleep.
Additionally, people who regularly took naps longer than 30 minutes were also 23% more likely to be obese and 40% more likely to have metabolic syndrome (which increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease) than the group that did not nap.
Health data from participants who napped for less than 30 minutes showed a 21% reduction in the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Representing the research team, Professor Marta Garaulet - a physiologist at the University of Murcia (Spain) and a visiting lecturer at Harvard University (USA), said that a nap of less than 30 minutes shows better health protection than sleeping too much.
Professor Garaulet also said that in addition to reducing the risk of high blood pressure, a moderate nap (less than 30 minutes) can also help improve concentration, increase alertness and work and study performance.
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