Napping, as widely known, is one of the many ways on how to rest. However, according to the researchers from Guangzhou Medical University in China, replacing an eight-hour sleep in the evening by napping during the day poses a health risk. 

The study was presented during the European Society of Cardiology's annual meeting. Researchers showed that napping for more than an hour during daytime increases heart attack chances and early death. This means that long naps could be dangerous to a person's health. 

According to a published article in Insider, researchers looked at 20 previous studies on naps, heart disease, and death risk in data including 313,651 people whose third (39%) reported taking regular naps. The researchers concluded that napping in any duration increased a person's risk of death by 19 percent.

The researchers explained one of the reasons behind the danger brought by napping. They believed that this is because people replaced their regular sleep, which is very important in overall health, by napping in an hour or more during the daytime. 

 Researchers also added that 30 percent of the available data has shown that people who are napping for one hour or longer are more likely to suffer early death, and 34 percent are more likely to develop heart disease than those who did not sleep. 

The new study's findings suggest that napping contributes to inflammation, high blood pressure, and diabetes. However, the researchers also found out that napping for 30 to 45 minutes could improve a person's health. It is important to note that napping should not be replaced as regular sleep. 

 Dr. Zhe Pan, the lead author of the study, said, "The results suggest that shorter naps might improve heart health in people who sleep insufficiently at night," but he asserted that napping for more than 60 minutes could be dangerous to one's health.

Meanwhile, the recently presented study about the effects of napping has its limitations. Since the analysis was taken from the previous studies, factors like lifestyle, age, or underlying conditions may contribute to the results.

Other researches also found out that napping is said to be beneficial to brain function, but these studies also revealed that it all depends on how it is used and the duration of the sleep. As previously mentioned, napping could be dangerous if used as a replacement for regular sleep and if a person takes a long nap during the daytime. 

Through a press release, the lead author also said that "A common view is that napping improves performance and counteracts the negative consequences of 'sleep debt.' Our study challenges these widely held opinions," Additionally, authors also concluded that napping between 30 to 60 minutes improved concentration and memory formation in adults who were 65 and older. But longer naps had the opposite effect, decreasing the participants' cognitive abilities.

Meanwhile, the medical director of Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center  Dr. Charlene Gamaldo commented on the study and said, "I consider napping to be a good thing, but it needs to be taken in the person's context. his or her own sleep cycles and body." 

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