Written by: Paula Scimone
Looking for an excuse to nap? This just might help you out. Midday naps have been associated with lowering blood pressure and may even reduce the risk of heart attacks and decrease other cardiovascular conditions.
At a cardiology convention in Europe, a study was done with 200 men and 186 women with an average age of 61 that were arterial hypertensive patients – a condition in which they were already being treated for high blood pressure.
The study showed that midday sleepers who slept 60 minutes had on average a 5% decrease in ambulatory systolic blood pressure when compared to patients who did not nap at midday.
Even though this might seem like a minor difference, the lead researcher, Dr. Manolis Kallistratos, said at the conference that even this small decrease “can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by up to 10%, proving that any drop in systolic blood pressure is advantageous to the patient.”
There are some guidelines to follow if you are going to add a siesta to your day. The study showed that 60 minutes of sleep at midday (3pm is the best time) is the timespan that can maximise the benefits.
Along with that, Kallistratos also mentioned a few very important factors about the study:
1. The participants had well controlled ambulatory systolic blood pressure.
2. It was an observational study, not clinical.
3. The midday nap was assumed to be the reason for the reduction in blood pressure and not another uncontrolled element. He is comparing the 60 minute nap results to the same reduction that occurs just before the REM cycle of nighttime sleep.
For future research on the midday nap, Kallistratos believes that monitoring patients with a less controlled ambulatory systolic blood pressure would show a greater drop. All in all, this discovery shows great promise for impactful results.
Note: Resting is not the same as sleep – current research shows the drop happens at the same time in the nighttime sleep cycle per Kallistratos.
“Midday sleep is a habit that, nowadays, is almost a privilege due to a nine to five working culture and intense daily routine,” said Kallistratos. The possible advantages of a nap a day could, infact, keep the doctor away. Who knew?
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Glenn was in an accident with a hockey puck that made it so his mouth had to be wired shut! While he was going through recovery he found that Organifi Protein sustained him in a healthy way where he was able to maintain his muscle mass while still be able to loose weight.
-Tragedy Turns to Opportunity, Weightloss and Holistic Health
