Are Long Afternoon Naps Good for You?

Midday naps are often the refuge of the overworked, but some recent research suggests that those who regularly take naps of an hour or more are more likely to venture into "the big sleep" at a younger age. The University of Cambridge study took 13 years to complete and included 16,000 British women and men ranging in age from 40 to 79. Controlling for factors such as mental illness, gender, and socioeconomic status, the research team separated the subjects into those who took longer naps, those who napped for about 30 minutes, and those who didn't nap. While they found no correlation between the latter two groups and an early death, they discovered that people in the first group -- the long nappers -- were 32 percent more likely to die than the others. The naps themselves were probably not the problem, the researchers stressed, but the reason for the naps possibly was. In other words, the underlying health issues that prompted people to take long daytime rests may have ultimately led to premature deaths.

Some facts to sleep on:

• Brief naps have been shown to increase productivity and alertness without causing grogginess or disrupting regular sleep.
• People who don't work regular day shifts are most at risk of fatigue and performance issues, although naps and caffeine have been shown to be beneficial.
• A study found that 74 percent of women get fewer hours of sleep than men, but also feel more guilty about taking naps.