According to Spanish research, daytime naps longer than 30 minutes could increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder.
- Atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder.
- Several factors can promote the onset of atrial fibrillation. This is particularly the case with obesity, aging, heart problems or sleep apnea.
- Spanish researchers have suggested that too long daytime naps could increase the risk of atrial fibrillation.
Also called atrial fibrillation, atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder characterized by uncontrolled and rapid electrical activity in the muscle of the atria. Different factors can promote its appearance: aging, obesity, heart problems or even sleep apnea.
Long naps increase the risk of atrial fibrillation
At a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, in Malaga (Spain), on Thursday April 13, Spanish researchers have suggested that daytime naps of more than 30 minutes could increase the risk of atrial fibrillation. The results of this study are, for the moment, considered preliminary, as they are awaiting a review by a committee of peers.
For the purposes of this research, the scientists recruited 20,000 graduates from Spanish universities. They divided them into three groups:
- participants who do not take a nap;
- subjects who take a nap of less than 30 minutes a day;
- volunteers who take a nap of 30 minutes or more per day.
The follow-up lasted almost 14 years. 131 participants developed atrial fibrillation during the study.
Atrial fibrillation: “the optimal duration of the nap is 15 to 30 minutes”
In the first analysis, the scientists found that the risk of atrial fibrillation was almost twice as high in participants taking long naps compared to subjects taking shorter naps. As for people who did not sleep during the day, they had no increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
Following these initial findings, the researchers focused only on people who take short naps. They then observed that participants who slept less than fifteen minutes had a 42% reduced risk of developing atrial fibrillation, while those who took naps of 15 to 30 minutes had a 56% reduced risk compared to people who take long naps.
“The results suggest that the optimal duration of the nap is 15 to 30 minutes (…) Larger studies are needed to determine whether a short nap is better than no nap. People with disturbed nighttime sleep should avoid relying on naps to make up for lack of sleep“said Dr. Jesus Diaz-Gutierrez, lead author of the study and cardiologist at the Juan Ramon Jimenez University Hospital in Huelva (Spain).
