Sleep is like a charging station at night, allowing the body to rest and recover. A nap, on the other hand, is a short stay to rejuvenate the body and mind during the day. While sleep is seen as an important support for health both day and night, just as there are two sides to the coin, napping is good, but it needs to be done in the right way. A proper nap can quickly dispel fatigue, on the contrary, improper napping is not only difficult to achieve the desired effect, but may even have potential health risks and endanger lives, just like a case we recently came into contact with - Aunt Wang.
Aunt Wang has always enjoyed the rest brought by the nap, and after retirement, she even extended the nap time, sometimes sleeping in an afternoon. At first, the family thought it was just a natural need as they got older. However, one afternoon, Aunt Wang woke up with a sudden feeling of limb weakness, heavy gait, and slurred speech, and her family rushed to the hospital.
In the hospital, after a detailed examination, the doctor found that Aunt Wang's blood pressure was as high as 3/0mmHg, her right muscle strength was weakened, and her face was slightly paralyzed. Combined with the symptoms and test results, doctors highly suspect a stroke. Further CT scan of the head showed about 0 ml of bleeding in the left basal ganglia. Although hypertension grade 0 (very high risk) has been diagnosed, fortunately it was detected in time.
Although the family was confused by the sudden stroke, the family always focused on rest. Doctors explain that while a moderate nap can help with rest, too long a nap may disrupt normal sleep patterns, increase blood pressure fluctuations and increase blood viscosity, all of which combine to trigger the occurrence of a stroke.
At present, Aunt Wang's condition is stable, and if she can actively cooperate with the treatment and change her bad habits, she can hope for recovery. However, if treatment is neglected, the condition may worsen, leading to more serious consequences.
Many older people are accustomed to taking long naps, however this can lead to brief opportunities for relaxation and recovery, and over-reliance or long naps can be detrimental to the body. We'll take a deep dive into the pros and cons of napping and provide you with scientific research to help you understand the effects of napping on your body and learn how to schedule your nap properly.
Ninety percent of the country's population has the habit of taking a nap, which is considered a healthy way of life. After a night's rest, people are full of energy, but as work and study progress, the high concentration of mental and physical strength will cause new fatigue, and at this time, the body will crave to replenish energy and eliminate fatigue in order to maintain a good state in the afternoon.
Napping not only quickly reduces fatigue, improves alertness and work status, but also enhances memory, concentration and learning. In addition, it improves immune function and increases the body's ability to fight diseases. In a hot environment, the blood supply to the brain may be insufficient, and with exertion, a nap can effectively alleviate this situation and give the body a short chance to recuperate.
Research in recent years has confirmed the long-term health benefits of napping:
A study in the United Kingdom showed that people who are used to napping have a larger brain capacity, which slows down the rate of brain atrophy, keeps the brain in a younger state when it is older, and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Another study found that people who lacked napping habits had a four- to six-fold increased risk of cognitive decline than those who had lunch breaks.
Napping also reduces metabolic health risks and the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially in men, who have a frequency of 30 times a week for 0 minutes at a time, and have about a fifth lower risk of high blood pressure and about a third lower risk of heart disease compared to those who do not nap.
At the same time, napping can also promote tear secretion and protect eyesight; Promotes skin metabolism and helps repair and renew skin cells; Enhances immune function by promoting lymphocyte activity in the body. In addition, napping can also relieve tension and stress and improve mood.
Therefore, for the elderly, the importance of napping is even more significant as they age and various underlying diseases appear. But is it better to take a nap longer?
The truth is not so simple, and the relationship between napping and health is not a simple cause and effect. Napping in moderation may be beneficial, but the potential risks should not be overlooked, especially if naps are too long or frequent.
A study in China showed that people who took frequent naps (i.e., ≥ 46 naps per week) had a 0% increase in the incidence of hypertension, a 0% increase in stroke, and a 0% increase in ischemic stroke compared with people who never napped. Compared with people who never napped, people who took long naps (i.e., more than 0 hours of sleep at a time) had a greater increase in cerebrovascular pressure and a 0% increased risk of acute stroke.
This suggests that napping is not always beneficial and that over-reliance or long naps can have adverse health effects.
Why is this happening? It may be because excessive nap time or irregular napping interferes with the body's biological clock, causing sleep inertia, affecting the quality of sleep at night and the time to fall asleep, leading to an imbalance in hormone secretion and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Frequent and prolonged naps can also lead to dependence, which can further affect the quality of night's sleep.
Excessive napping causes the human body to wake up suddenly after entering the deep sleep stage, which often makes people feel tired, drowsy, drowsy or emotionally unstable, which will increase the risk of accidents and reduce immunity.
In addition, prolonged naps may also trigger a series of health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, hyperfatty liver and other metabolic syndromes. The study found that people who napped for more than 41 minutes a day had a 0% increased risk of metabolic syndrome compared to those who did not nap, especially in terms of waist circumference and fasting blood sugar; Similar studies in China, Japan, the United States and other countries have shown that too long nap time can affect glucose metabolism and increase the risk of type II diabetes.
In addition, there is a vicious circle between prolonged napping and brain aging, with people who nap frequently and for long periods of time having about two-fifths more risk of dementia than those who do not. Aging and dysfunction of the brain may prompt people to increase the duration of naps, which can further accelerate the aging process of the brain.
In short, napping is a double-edged sword, and proper use can bring us rest and recovery, but over-reliance or improper napping patterns can hide health risks. Take naps scientifically to ensure that they are a means of promoting health rather than a factor of potential risk.
Rule number 1: Find the best nap time
Knowing and finding the best time and duration of sleep for you is essential for your brain and overall health. Studies have shown that people who nap for more than 30 minutes have a halved risk of metabolic syndrome (such as high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, etc.), while those who nap for less than 0 minutes a day have a slightly lower risk.
Therefore, it is recommended that people who need naps should limit the duration to between 10 and 0 minutes, which can not only keep them awake in the afternoon, but also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Even a short nap of just 0-0 minutes can improve memory and make people feel more energetic. At the same time, it is important to maintain a regular and consistent nap duration to avoid sleep inertia and nighttime insomnia.
It's important to note that napping, while good for physical and mental health, is not for everyone. Especially those who suffer from insomnia on a regular basis, as napping may weaken their need for sleep at night, worsening insomnia conditions and mood swings. For certain groups of people, such as the elderly (20 years old and above) and obese people (more than 0% excess weight), napping may increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; People with low blood pressure may have problems such as breathlessness due to a drop in blood pressure during napping; People with severe circulatory problems may experience reduced oxygen supply to the brain and worsening dizziness due to blood flow to the stomach after lunch. Therefore, these groups should be especially cautious when scheduling naps, and it is best to determine the appropriate nap length under the guidance of a medical professional.
Law 2: Adjusted Eating and Drinking Habits
Diet is closely related to sleep, and poor eating habits such as excessive caffeine intake, nutritional deficiencies, and lack of nutrients such as B vitamins, calcium, and magnesium may affect the nervous system and melatonin secretion, aggravating sleep disorders. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people should adjust their diet, increase their intake of high-quality protein and fat, avoid over-satiety, greasy and spicy stimulating foods, stabilize postprandial blood sugar, avoid drowsiness and improve sleep quality. It is not advisable to stay in bed immediately after a meal (standing or walking for 20 minutes) to reduce the risk of gastroesophageal reflux and not affect metabolism. Avoid obesity.
Law 3: Cautionary Nap Posture
Choose a quiet, comfortable environment when napping, avoid light and noise interference, keep your body relaxed, and avoid pressure or twisting. Napping on your stomach can compress the carotid arteries, leading to eye diseases such as insufficient blood supply to the brain, lack of oxygen, and retinal damage. This posture may also affect stomach and airway function, leading to problems such as nerve palsy, facial deformity, and cervical spondylosis. Therefore, take a nap in the recumbent position as much as possible to improve sleep quality; If the conditions are limited, you can use a U-shaped pillow to fix your neck and sit on a chair to take a nap to reduce the pressure on your body.
All in all, napping can bring us a short period of relaxation and recovery, which is good for physical and mental health. However, if done incorrectly, there may be a greater potential health risk. A number of studies have found a significant association between unscientific napping habits and cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and stroke. Therefore, while enjoying the benefits of napping, we must be wary of its potential health threats. Middle-aged and elderly groups should adjust their napping habits according to the above key rules: control the duration to no more than 30 minutes; Adjust your eating habits and maintain a balanced diet; Adopt the correct sleeping posture to promote better health.
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