3 minute read
Snooze button
Sleep on it
A short nap works wonders for the mind and body, while also helping to lower the risk of some diseases
WORDS SARAH MARINOS
In parts of Latin America and the Mediterranean, a siesta has been part of daily life for generations. Often, it’s a brief reprieve from the afternoon sun, but a nap may off er much more than a break from the heat.
The right kind of nap boosts energy and performance, and can enhance memory and brain function. It can also have physiological impacts that are being uncovered by a growing body of science.
Heart health benefits
Swiss researchers have found a nap can lower the risk of heart attack or stroke. The study, published in 2019, followed participants for more than fi ve years and found napping once or twice a week almost halved the rate of heart attack, stroke and heart failure compared to not napping at all.
Similarly, the American Heart Association (AHA) has underscored the importance of healthy sleep patterns.
In 2020, AHA research found adults with good sleep routines — sleeping seven to eight hours a day and who don’t snore or feel too sleepy during the day — have a 42 per cent lower risk of heart failure.
Napping and diabetes
About 1.3 million Australians live with type 2 diabetes.
Early diagnosis is important in reducing the eff ects of the disease, and napping can play a role.
A 2016 University of Tokyo study found daytime naps of an hour or more were associated with a 45 per cent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to no naps.
“Studies show long daytime naps may also increase the risk of other metabolic disorders, like high cholesterol and obesity — a known risk factor for diabetes,” Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute pre-clinical disease and prevention group leader Stephanie Yiallourou says.
“This could be because increased napping may reduce the amount of physical activity you do during the day,” Dr Yiallourou says.
“A long daytime nap may also increase the risk of symptoms of insomnia and disrupt circadian rhythm or the body clock, which is also associated with higher diabetes risk.”
SMART SIESTA STEPS
Pick your time
“You need at least eight hours between the end of a nap and when you intend to sleep again,” says Associate Professor Delwyn Bartlett, a psychologist and insomnia specialist at Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.
“To sleep well at night, we need to build up a sleep debt so our brain wants to go back to sleep to cancel out that debt.”
Keep it short and sweet: nap for 10-20 minutes
“When you nap for a short amount of time you stay in the lighter stages of sleep,” Prof Bartlett says.
“If you nap for longer, you will go into deep sleep and will feel groggy when you wake. You will also fi nd it harder to sleep at night because your brain won’t feel it needs as much sleep.”
Set an alarm
“Set a timer to make sure you don’t sleep for too long and go into a deep sleep,” Dr Yiallourou says.
Know when to rest: only nap when you need to
“Generally, you need a nap if you are battling to stay awake. That’s the time to lie down for a short time, but don’t put pressure on yourself that you have to nap. Just rest, let go of all that is happening in your life and see what happens,” Prof Bartlett says.
Don’t nap in bed
“Getting into bed should just be for night-time sleep, so nap in a diff erent place,” Prof Bartlett says. “Roll up a hand towel, put it under your neck and lie on the fl oor or on a rug. But choose somewhere to nap where you feel safe and comfortable.”
Sleep tech A RANGE OF GADGETS ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY
NOISE-CANCELLING
HEADPHONES Usually these are lightweight headphones that sit flat against your ear and are worn inside a comfortable headband. They are streamlined and light, and block out distracting sounds.
PODCASTS Plenty of podcasts are designed to soothe you to sleep. Some of the betterknown ones include Sleep With Me, Nothing Much Happens, Slow Radio and Sleepy.
WHITE NOISE MACHINE These machines are designed to block out environmental or background noise and while more research is needed, some studies show they may reduce the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and increase the length of sleep.
SLEEP MASK Slip one on if you are easily distracted by natural or artificial light. These may be particularly helpful in blocking out light during an afternoon nap.
