To Your Health
July, 2023 (Vol. 17, Issue 07) |
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Naps: Good for Brain Health
By Editorial Staff
Who couldn't use a nap these days? More people than not slog through life getting poor sleep, not enough sleep, sleep that doesn't leave them feeling refreshed, or all of the above. The result: a tired, irritable, underperforming, and over time, unhealthy population that desperately needs one thing: more quality sleep!
Your brain doesn't do well without quality sleep, but fortunately, the simple act of napping appears to help when it comes to brain health. Specifically, short daytime naps may help preserve brain volume, according to research published in a recent issue of
Sleep Health. That's significant because brain
shrinkage (loss of brain volume) is associated with a higher risk of cognitive / neurodegenerative diseases.
Among a study population of more than 35,000 adults, ages 40-69 at baseline, adults who reported regular daytime napping had larger brain volumes – the equivalent of 2.6 to 6.5 fewer years of aging. More naps, bigger (younger) brain!
OK, so you're probably asking yourself the same question we're thinking: How do I possibly work more (or any) daytime naps into my schedule? If you work all day Monday-Friday, your best bet is the weekends, of course. Find time for a 20- to 30-minute nap on Saturday and/or Sunday, and then see if you can increase the frequency (on off days during the week, vacations, etc.). Remember: More naps, better brain health.
