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Have you ever felt guilty of taking a nap during the day? A lot of people actually feel this way, and think to themselves that they should be working more and should only sleep during nighttime. However, a new study came out saying a different thing.
Napping and Brain Health
A recent study led by researchers at University College London and the University of the Republic in Uruguay found that most people who took daily short daytime naps have larger brain volume than those who didn’t. If you are not aware, our brains shrink as we grow older, so retaining their total volume or the majority of it can mean a slower aging process.
As our brain ages with us, the natural ability to think and hold onto our memories also diminishes, but according to this new research, the brains of people who habitually nap appeared to be 2.6 to 6.5 years younger than those who do not usually nap.
This means that this simple study suggests that a good way to keep our brains healthier in the long run is to have daily short naps during the day. Some people might actually already agree with this without reading how they have done the studies, because most of the time, we all feel better after taking a short nap, but let’s still find out how they did the research.
Read more: Medical News Today
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How the Study Was Conducted
The study analyzed data from over 35,000 people aged 40 to 69. Instead of making people actually nap during the day and observe them for decades, this research utilized the genetic information of the participants. They first tried to find out who has the tendency to take regular naps, and then they compared their brain scans with those who didn’t have a genetic tendency to nap.
They used a method called Mendelian randomization to analyze the findings. In simple terms, it is a scientific method to estimate the effect of a specific exposure or causal effect on an outcome. In this case, it is pertaining to the effects of daily naps on total brain volume.
The researchers clearly found a causal link between habitual napping and larger brain volume, suggesting that people who naps regularly tends to retain a larger part of their brain as they ages when others’s brain are already shrinking.
Best Practices for Napping
One of the factors that the study did not dive deep into is what type of naps are the best to have. You can’t just sleep for hours without end during the day and expect to have a larger brain volume when you get older. Scientists say there are good practices to get into when trying to nap effectively.
Short naps of about 10 to 30 minutes are considered most beneficial, and taking them at around 1 pm to 3 pm is best to avoid interfering with nighttime sleep. These practices will help you achieve the healthy benefits of napping during the day such as increase in alertness, cognitive functions, and a better mood.
Author's Final Thoughts
Based on this study, taking naps is a good way for us to retain our total brain volume in the future and support our brain health overall. More research and data would likely come out in the future to either support or disprove it, however, it is best to listen to your body. Do you feel a lot better after a nap or not? That should be the main source of information on whether to prioritize daytime napping for each of us.
Read more: The Surprising Physical and Emotional Health Benefits of Owning a Cat
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