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Can Napping Reduced Blood Pressure? Most people are not having the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. This may make some feel sleepy and hard to concentrate in the afternoon. Some may even feel cranky and irritable after lunch. Perhaps, a nap might help. For kids, nighttime sleep is certainly important. But daytime naps are key for making sure kids get the hours of rest they need each day, and work wonders for kids’ physical health and mood. Nap is, however, not just for kids. As research indicates, even among adults, daytime nap offers many benefits to help one make it through the day. A good nap can get one out of the afternoon slump, recharge the energy and become more alert and in a better mood. Napping may help increase alertness, adjust attitude, improve memory and provide a creative mind, too. A recent research, which was conducted by researchers from the Asklepieion General Hospital in Voula, Greece, has found that people who take a nap at midday were more likely to have a noticeable drop in blood pressure compared with those who did not nap. Such benefits even apply to people with reasonably controlled blood pressure. Their findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans, LA between 16 and 18 March 2019.
The study involved 212 adults with an average age
of 62, whose average systolic blood pressure was 129.9 mmHg. Just over half of
the participants were female. About 1 out of 4 participants were smokers and/or
had Type-2 diabetes. Researchers divided the participants into 2 groups: napping
and non-napping groups. The groups were similar in terms of risk factors for
heart disease except that there were more smokers in the napping group.
Participants wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor to measure so that their blood pressure could be measured for 24 hours consecutively. In addition to blood pressure, researchers also assessed and recorded midday sleep time (the average duration was 49 minutes), lifestyle habits (for example, alcohol, coffee and salt consumption, physical activity levels), and pulse wave velocity (a measure of stiffness in the arteries). At study recruitment, participants also underwent an echocardiogram. In the analysis, the researchers adjusted factors known to influence blood pressure levels, including age, gender, lifestyle and medications. There were no differences in terms of the number of antihypertensive medications taken between the 2 groups, and pulse wave velocity tests and echocardiograms were also similar. Overall, the average 24-hour systolic blood pressure was 5.3 mm Hg lower among those who napped compared with those who did not (127.6 mm Hg vs 132.9 mm Hg). When looking at both blood pressure numbers, people who napped had more favorable readings (128.7/76.2 vs 134.5/79.5 mm Hg). The researcher also found a direct linear relationship between time asleep and blood pressure: for each hour of napping, the average 24-hour systolic blood pressure lowered by 3 mm Hg. According to researchers, a reduction in blood pressure as small as 2 mmHg can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack by up to 10 percent. Researchers explained taking a nap is about the same as someone could expect when taking blood pressure medication or making certain lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure. For comparison, the researchers pointed out that lifestyle changes like reducing salt or alcohol intake tend to reduce blood pressure by 3 to 5 mmHg, and a low-dose drug for hypertension typically lowers levels by 5 to 7 mmHg. They also stressed that the biggest drop in blood pressure happened just before the REM phase, which suggests actual sleep is required to lower blood pressure to the levels observed. Hence, a nap is superior to just resting. Meanwhile, researchers suspect that along with the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, the cultural acceptance of midday napping in Mediterranean region may also play a role in the healthier profile seen in these populations.
While midday nap may not be feasible for most
people who are working with intense daily routine, the researchers still
advocate that people should consider making time for a midday nap whenever and
wherever possible. Date: July 4, 2019
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