Afternoon Naps May Boost Heart health

New Scientist ^ | 2-12-2007 | Roxanne Khamsi

[blam]

Afternoon naps may boost heart health

21:00 12 February 2007
NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi

The next health trend might come out of nursery school instead of the gym: A study of nearly 24,000 people found that those who regularly took midday naps were nearly 40% less likely to die from heart disease than non-nappers.

Researchers suggest that siestas might protect the heart by lowering levels of stress hormones.

Dimitrios Trichopoulos at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, US, and colleagues recruited about 24,000 volunteers between the ages of 20 and 86, in Greece, who had no history of heart disease, stroke or cancer. The researchers collected information about the participants’ napping habits and followed them for six years, on average.

After controlling for risk factors such as diet and physical activity, Trichopoulos’s team found that people who took at least three naps per week lasting 30 minutes or longer had a 37% reduced risk of death from heart disease than their non-napping counterparts.

Stress hormones

Those subjects who occasionally took short naps lasting less than half an hour had a 12% lower risk than people who never napped.

[blam]

I've taken an afternoon every day for the last twelve years.

[sine_nomine]

I have a new argument when my wife says, "Are you falling asleep?" Today I said I was going to do some heart therapy for about an hour. Felt great. I normally work late into the night.

[Shimmer128]

You must've been napping when this was already posted. :D

[metmom]

I'm safe.

[metmom]

ping

[JRios1968]

I have no need forzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[rocksblues]

I do at least 2 hours every day.

[Fishtalk]

Well while we're confessing...man I can't function any more without an afternoon nap.

But I also took naps when a younger woman, even when I worked stressful and demanding jobs. I often went out and just sat in my car in the parking lot and took a fifteen to twenty minute nap. Felt like a million bucks when I woke up too.

This is not rocket science. Obviously a little rest from life's stress is bound to have a good effect.

[Carl LaFong]

This is great news-I took a nap before I ate my pork chop and butter sandwich.

[blam]

"You must've been napping when this was already posted. :D"

Ahem, here's my search. Show me where I missed a previous post.

[WKB]

This is the best news I have had since
I woke up .

[Shimmer128]

You're off the hook. It had a different title.
I couldn't find it at first, but i KNEW i wasn't dreaming it. :D

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1783568/posts

[blam]

Shep Smith on Fox News is covering this subject next.

[Shimmer128]

Well, you'll just have to repeat it to me! :) I don't have sat or cable. :0

[squidward]

I am forwarding this to my wife. Maybe it will get her to stop busting my chops whenever I want to take a nap from now on.

[blam]

"Well, you'll just have to repeat it to me! :) I don't have sat or cable. :0"

Good for men and women, men benefit the most though.

[defenderSD]

reference bump.