Don't Feel Guilty The Next Time You Take a Nap- By Kaleigh West

We've all experienced it: we come home from a long day at school, work, or practice and the first thing we want to do is go to sleep-- at 4:00 in the afternoon. Naturally, we pass out on our couch or bed, still in our t-shirts and jeans, and suddenly, 4:00 turns into 6:00. After that two hours of much needed rest, we often find ourselves waking up feeling guilty, as if we should have spent the last two hours doing something productive. However, a recent study conducted by Nadine Häusler, Ph.D. revealed that napping may not be a complete waste of time after all. In fact, according to this study conducted in Switzerland, napping can reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, by 48%. 

Participants ranging from 35 to 75 years of age with no history of cardiovascular issues were monitored over a five year period. About half of the participants reported that they did not frequently nap, while 20% said that they napped once or twice a week, and 24% said that they napped three to seven times per week. After the five year monitoring period, researchers concluded that napping once to twice a week was linked to a 48% lower risk of a cardiovascular event compared to those who didn't nap at all.

While the duration of the naps were taken into consideration, there was no correlation found between the length of the naps and the risk of a cardiovascular event. Additionally, the exact physiological connections between napping and heart health are not entirely known yet.

*The following is my theory based off of the findings of the study. It is not necessarily accurate.*

Although I am certainly not an expert on cardiovascular health, this data made me begin to speculate as to exactly why napping positively effects cardiovascular health. In fact, before reading this study, I always assumed that frequent napping would have a negative effect on cardiovascular health because frequent napping is consistent with a sedentary lifestyle. In general, a sedentary lifestyle leads to plaque buildup in arteries which can cause blockages that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. However, upon further speculation, I remembered that frequently eating saturated fats (such as fats often found in junk food) result in elevated LDL cholesterol levels, which leads to plaque buildup in arteries. Therefore, like a sedentary lifestyle, eating excess junk food can also lead to a higher risk of a cardiovascular event.

Napping and eating junk food are both common ways to deal with stress. However, if somebody is napping, they cannot also be eating junk food at the same time. Therefore, napping may result in a decreased amount of saturated fat intake, LDL cholesterol levels, and therefore, a lesser risk of a cardiovascular event.

Link to article with study information: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326311.php