Irregular Naps in Older Adults May Raise Mortality Risk

This transcript has been edited for clarity. 

New research reveals a significant connection between daytime napping patterns and mortality risk in middle- to older-aged adults.

In a comprehensive study of over 86,000 non-shift workers monitored through actigraphy for 7 days, researchers uncovered compelling patterns in daytime sleep behavior.

The findings showed that as people age, their naps tend to become longer and more irregular, with timing shifting toward the afternoon. During the 11-year follow-up period, about 6% of participants died.

What’s particularly noteworthy is that longer or irregular naps may indicate underlying health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, depression, or early neurodegenerative changes.

Healthcare providers should make it a point to ask patients about their napping habits, not just their nighttime sleep patterns. Key questions should address whether patients are getting enough nocturnal sleep.

It’s important to consider if underlying conditions like sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, chronic heart failure, or [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] might be disrupting nighttime sleep and leading to increased daytime napping.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.