Siestas once or twice a week may cut heart attack risk by half
What are the beneficial effects of having a daytime snooze? Researchers have been looking at this question for years.
Keystone / Andree-noelle Pot
A daytime nap taken once or twice a week could halve the risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to new research. But no such link was established for more frequent siestas or napping duration.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/sb
العربية
ar
القيام بقيلولة مرة أو مرّتيْن في الأسبوع قد يقلل خطر الإصابة بالنوبات القلبية إلى النصف
What are the beneficial effects of having a daytime snooze? Their impact on the heart has been researched in detail but many published studies have not examined the question of frequency.
New research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Heart publicationExternal link looked at the relationship between napping frequency and average nap duration and the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease incidents, such as heart attack, stroke, or heart failure.
Analysing the results from 3,462 randomly selected residents aged 35-75 who live in Lausanne in western Switzerland, the researchers found that occasional napping, once to twice weekly, was associated with an almost halving in attack/stroke/heart failure risk (48%) compared with those who didn’t nap at all.
But no association was found for more frequent siestas or napping duration, the researchers said.
For the study, participants were registered between 2009 and 2012 and their health was monitored for an average of five years. During the monitoring period, there were 155 fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease ‘events’.
During interviews, over half (58%) of the participants said they hadn’t napped during the previous week; around one in five (19%, 667) said they had taken one to two naps; around one in ten (12%, 411) said they had taken three to five; while a similar proportion (11%, 370) said they had taken six to seven.
Fans of daytime siestas (3-7 naps a week) tended to be older, male, smokers, weigh more, and sleep longer at night than those who said they didn’t nap during the day.
The authors of the study published online in the journal Heart, said: “The study of napping is a challenging, but also a promising field with potentially significant public health implications. While there remain more questions than answers, it is time to start unveiling the power of naps for a supercharged heart.”
More
More
Rocking improves both sleep and memory
This content was published on
The findings could be used to treat sleep and memory disorders, say the universities of Geneva and Lausanne and the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), which carried out the research. In a controlled test, 18 healthy young adults spent two nights at the HUG Sleep Medicine Centre, once on a swaying bed and the other…
Has your continent reached its peak or is there still potential for economic growth?
Some regions of the world are on an upward trajectory with the promise of a steadily improving future. Where do you live? And in which direction is your region or continent developing?
Swiss authorities keep close eye on West Nile fever in Italy
This content was published on
Authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation after the death toll in Italy due to the disease has risen to seven.
Swiss authorities aim to keep negotiating with US on tariffs
This content was published on
A day after the US tariff shock, Swiss officials are still in contact with Washington. One economist meanwhile warns of a hit to Swiss jobs.
Bern biodiversity project brings boost for forest bees
This content was published on
More sunlit areas in forests can boost the number of wild bees – both in overall terms and in terms of species diversity.
Swiss president kicks off National Day celebrations on Rütli meadow
This content was published on
Several hundred people gathered on the Rütli in central Switzerland at midday on Friday to celebrate the national Swiss holiday, before Karin Keller-Sutter addressed the crowd.
US sets deadline for Novartis and other pharma firms to lower prices
This content was published on
US President Donald Trump says he has sent letters to Swiss giant Novartis and other pharma firms calling for lower drug prices in the United States – or face retaliation.
Around 25,000m3 of rockfall registered in Swiss village of Brienz
This content was published on
More rock has come loose in the eastern Swiss village of Brienz than initially assumed following rainfall last weekend, said a new situation report published on Friday.
Swiss government reacts with ‘great regret’ to new US tariffs
This content was published on
The Swiss government says it will continue to strive for a negotiated solution after the United States imposed 39% tariffs on the Alpine country.
Switzerland testing AI tools to make scarecrows more effective
This content was published on
The Swiss agricultural research centre Agroscope is testing an AI system to more effectively prevent damage to agricultural crops caused by crows and rooks.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
You can learn a new language when deeply asleep
This content was published on
Research: it's possible to learn new vocabulary in a foreign language during certain phases of deep sleep and retrieve it unconsciously when awake.
This content was published on
The findings could be used to treat sleep and memory disorders, say the universities of Geneva and Lausanne and the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), which carried out the research. In a controlled test, 18 healthy young adults spent two nights at the HUG Sleep Medicine Centre, once on a swaying bed and the other…
Sleeping and waking controlled by same part of brain
This content was published on
Swiss researchers have shown that a single area of the brain – the thalamus – is responsible both for the actions of falling asleep and waking up.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.