Nap

A short one Nap or Daytime sleep refreshes and makes you more efficient. While toddlers still take an extended nap, daytime sleep becomes less and less important with increasing age. It can even be harmful.

What is the afternoon nap?

Like the night sleep, the afternoon nap is also part of our internal clock. It is controlled by genes and has an important biological function. Sleep serves to regenerate the body. With too little sleep, we couldn't exist forever.

A midday strike is part of human nature. Opinions differ only about its duration. If it is too long, it can lead to health problems. Sleep comes naturally to everyone and it corresponds to the biorhythm to sleep twice a day.

Early risers get tired around 2:00 p.m., most of them even a little earlier, around 1:00 p.m. Lunch can increase this sleep impulse and we feel particularly weak. Growing children also have an increased need for sleep during the day. Babies need daytime sleep and also sleep many hours during the day.

The length of sleep decreases with age. Admittedly, adult naps are also justified, but they shouldn't take too long. According to current studies from Great Britain and the USA, the long nap in the afternoon increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases significantly in people over 69 years of age.

The amount of sleep you need also depends on your lifestyle. In some professions or phases of life, people need to be particularly well rested. Only then can he react quickly, even in dangerous situations.

Function & task

A nap is essential for the healthy development of babies and toddlers. Small children are exposed to so many new impressions that they first have to deal with them. The sleep break is just right for this.

As sleep researchers know, you repeat what you have learned until it is firmly anchored. The afternoon nap also helps with growth, because now the child's body releases a growth hormone.

Napping in the afternoon can prevent over-stimulation in children. Fears that the child can no longer sleep in the evening are inappropriate. Many children even sleep better with an afternoon nap in the evening. Nevertheless, it is sufficient if children only doze off at noon.

If an adult has a need for sleep at noon, he should pursue this. Because it means stress for the body to fight against the need for sleep. Stress, in turn, damages the psyche and organs.

Many people can relax deeply in a very short period of sleep. A good relaxation over midday is just as regenerating as a longer nap. Anyone who hasn't had a good rest makes mistakes at work, is irritable, in a bad mood and prone to accidents.

However, an extended nap is less healthy than a short, relaxing break. According to the latest research, too much sleep is just as unhealthy as too little sleep. Research by the California Pacific Medical Center came to the conclusion that more than three hours of afternoon nap a week is harmful.

For this study, 8,101 American women were observed in the sleep laboratory for seven years. Especially women who slept 10 hours out of 24 had a 59% higher risk of developing the disease. It is assumed that a hormonal change in those who sleep a lot led to an increased appetite with increased fat storage.

The right amount of sleep, on the other hand, helps prevent many diseases. It can protect against depression, heart attacks and obesity. An afternoon nap of around 20 minutes is refreshing and gives you new strength.

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Illnesses & ailments

Sleeping strengthens the immune system, protects nerves, brain and bones. Getting the right amount of sleep is important because too much nap can make you sick. Contrary to popular belief, taking a nap in the afternoon is not a sign of weakness, but helps reduce stress.

A quick nap has many positive effects, including lowering the risk of heart disease. If a strong need for sleep occurs during the day, those affected should consult a doctor. It can be an indication of an unrecognized disease.

The midday nap mainly helps working people, while there are hardly any positive effects for retirees. From the age of 69, people statistically have a significantly higher risk of heart disease if they sleep regularly at noon.

An extended nap can cause insomnia as well as the dangerous sleep apnea. The breathing pauses during the night are threatening and can lead to cardiac arrest. It is not for nothing that people with sleep apnea wear oxygen masks at night.

In addition, chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are more common in late risers. These findings came from a recent study by the universities of Cambridge and Warwick, which examined the sleep of 10,000 people.

They also found a link between long nap and more frequent strokes over the next ten years. According to this, people who sleep more than eight hours a day have a 46% higher risk of suffering a stroke in the following decade. In women, the risk was even 80%.

From half an hour in length, the afternoon nap can impair inner peace. If it is too long, the afternoon nap has the same effects as an extremely long night sleep. Those affected are more drowsy and it takes much longer to return to full performance.