Regular daytime naps help prevent brain shrinkage, new study suggests 

Regular daytime naps aid our brain to keep it healthy as it ages, according to researchers from University College London (UCL) and the University of the Republic of Uruguay. 

The research suggests that habitual nappers’ brains are 15 cubic centimetres (0.9 cubic inches) larger- equivalent to 2.6 to 6.5 years of ageing. However, researchers recommend keeping the nap to less than 30 minutes. 

Describing the findings as quite novel and quite exciting, Senior author Victoria Garfield, MRC Unit for Lifelong Health & Ageing at UCL, said, “Our findings suggest that, for some people, short daytime naps may be a part of the puzzle that could help preserve the health of the brain as we get older. The brain naturally shrinks with age, but whether naps could help prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s will still need extra research.”

In the study published in the journal Sleep Health, researchers have analysed DNA samples and brain scans from 35,080 people aged 40 to 69 involved in the UK Biobank study. The UK Biobank study has a large biomedical database and research resource that followed UK residents from 2006 to 2010.

Through their extensive research, scientists have hoped to reduce any stigma that still exists around daytime napping. 

However, napping can be harmful too. Previous research has concluded that frequent napping or regularly napping for extended periods during the day may be a sign of early dementia in older adults. 

In fact, according to a study published in March 2022, adults that napped for more than an hour a day were 40% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who napped less than an hour a day. 

People that often nap have a 12% more chance of developing high blood pressure over time and 24% more likely to have a stroke, suggested a research study published in July 2022.