Napping is a pleasant thing to do in a busy day, but is there a scientific basis for the rumor that napping in older people is harmful to the body?
1. Healthy napping
Many people have this situation, that is, after waking up from a nap, instead of feeling refreshed and comfortable, they are dizzy and weak, is it because the nap itself is harmful to the body?
No, it's most likely because of the wrong nap length.
According to a survey by a research team at Guangzhou Medical University, when a person takes a nap for more than 1 hour, the risk of all-cause mortality increases by 30%, and the risk of cardiovascular disease increases by 34%.
The optimal nap length should be 30 to 45 minutes, which may even improve the heart health of sleep-deprived people.
At the same time, a German study showed that people who slept more than five times a week for more than one hour at a time had a more than double the risk of coronary heart disease.
Researchers at the University of California have conducted a follow-up study on the elderly and concluded that the risk of Alzheimer's disease increases by about 40% in older people who take a nap for more than 1 hour.
If the duration is limited to less than 1 hour, this risk can be basically avoided.
Therefore, the statement that "napping is harmful to health" is one-sided, and a reasonable nap for a reasonable period of time is not harmful to physical health, but beneficial to physical health.
First of all, the most direct effect of napping is to eliminate fatigue, relieve stress, and regulate mood.
If a person is busy all day long, and the digestive system is running at high speed after lunch, it is inevitable that he will feel sleepy, tired, and mentally ill.
Then just one nap can greatly reduce or even disappear the fatigue, and the mood will naturally improve.
Second, napping helps boost memory.
According to the research of Mednick et al., a psychologist at Harvard University in the United States, daytime naps can promote sleep-dependent memory.
In other words, napping has the potential to turn fragmented memories into structured memories, and short-term memories can also evolve into long-term memories.
Finally, napping is beneficial in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.
A study by a team in Spain has proved that taking a half-hour nap every day will make the hormone secretion in the human body more balanced, and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases can be reduced by 30%.
Therefore, a proper nap is beneficial, and in daily life, a healthy nap is not only affected by the "duration" factor.
Especially for the elderly, take a nap to pay attention to the "three don'ts".
2. Take a nap "three don'ts"
The first is "don't sleep too long" as discussed above.
When people reach old age, they have time, and when they are bored, they think about "just sleep", but excessive sleep is not good for the body and may lay hidden dangers for a variety of diseases.
Generally speaking, it is best to control the nap time of 20 to 40 minutes in the elderly, which can not only relieve fatigue, but also not let the body fall into a deep sleep, which can lead to listlessness after waking up.
In other words, noon is the time when the sun is right, and the elderly are really bored, so they may as well go to the yard or balcony to bask in the sun, or do a moderate amount of activities.
Of course, you can also talk to your neighbors.
The second is "don't sleep on your stomach".
"Tummy" here refers to a sleeping position similar to sleeping on a table, and falling asleep in this way has many disadvantages.
First, because the body is partially upright, it may lead to insufficient blood supply to the head, which in turn causes problems such as dizziness and swelling;
second, due to the curling up of the body, the abdomen will be squeezed, affecting digestion;
Third, the spine is cured for a long time, which may lead to spondylosis, cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, etc.;
Fourth, it compresses the blood vessels and nerves of the arm, so many people sleep on their stomachs and feel numb in their arms and even legs after waking up.
The body organs of the elderly are already in a relatively fragile state, and it is necessary to pay attention to these small symptoms to prevent a little carelessness and causing a big disaster.
Finally, "don't go to bed just after you're full."
Many people describe a happy life as "eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating", but from a scientific point of view, this statement is not very healthy.
For most Chinese, lunch is the most important meal of the day, and it is not only about eating well, but also about being full. After eating, due to the high-speed operation of the digestive system and the relaxation of the body and mind, it is easy to doze off.
However, falling asleep as soon as you are full may not only affect the digestion and absorption of food, but also affect the quality of sleep.
Because lying down or lying down after eating is full, it will increase the pressure on the stomach, which can easily cause gastroesophageal reflux, which in turn causes a series of uncomfortable symptoms.
It is recommended that after a full meal, you can exercise moderately for 10 to 20 minutes before taking a nap.
Resources:
Taking too long a nap and being more likely to die?
For elderly people, remember "3 don'ts" for napping, otherwise the more you sleep, the more tired you will be, and your body will collapse sooner or later
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