What a bummer! A new study has found that people who take naps often are more likely to develop high blood pressure and experience strokes.

Study participants who typically napped during the day were 12% more likely to develop high blood pressure over time and were 24% more likely to have a stroke compared with people who never napped.

If the person was younger than age 60, napping most days raised the risk of developing high blood pressure by 20% compared with people who never or rarely nap, according to the study published Monday in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

The AHA recently added sleep duration as one of its eight essential metrics to optimal heart and brain health.

Longer naps are worse.

However, at least one sleep expert believes the issues reported in the study aren’t directly related to napping. “This may be because, although taking a nap itself is not harmful, many people who take naps may do so because of poor sleep at night,” says clinical psychologist Michael Grandner. “Poor sleep at night is associated with poorer health, and naps are not enough to make up for that.”

I LOVE a good nap! What about you?

7-27-22