What if the secret to a healthy heart was napping? Such is the unexpected conclusion of an American scientific study that examined the health data of 3,462 volunteers for five years.
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According to researchers, napping is good for your health, provided that you do it once or twice a week. In addition, scientists noted that this correlation only applied to people under the age of 65.
“Although the exact physiological pathways linking daytime napping to [cardiovascular disease] risk are not clear, [this study] contributes to the ongoing debate on the health implications of napping, and suggests that it might not only be the duration, but also the frequency that matters," says Dr. Yue Leng, lead author of this publication.
Many benefits
As the researchers pointed out, however, these conclusions are merely preliminary and observational; it is still far too early to say for sure that there is causality.
But according to the scientists, this correlation highlights the fact that we still know very little about the benefits of napping.
Because besides lowering the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, napping also seems to improve cognitive functions as well as mood, and the ability to control one's emotions. A lot of good reasons to continue napping on a regular basis!
