Daytime napping triggers early death - study

MANILA, Philippines - Napping is said to increase one’s productivity and cognitive ability, but it appears that this seemingly harmless habit may just knock years of your life. Studies claim that napping may be a precursor to your too-soon demise.

Researchers at Cambridge University in England published the results of a 13-year study of more than 16,000 British people. The subjects are adults who gave details of their sleeping habits, including whether they took a nap in the day.

During the time of study, over 3,000 of the subjects died. The researchers noticed that the daytime snoozers who napped for less than an hour were 14 percent more likely to die young than those who avoid  naps, while those who nodded off for more than an hour during the day were 32 percent more likely to die before age 65.

This is because of respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis, emphysema, and pneumonia. When the researchers matched the mortality rates, they have found out that adults who nap every day are up to  two-and-a-half times more likely to die from respiratory illnesses than those who do not nap.

However, the confusion remains as even the study claims that the napping habit is probably triggered by an already existing disease or a sign of system irregularity and marker of future health problems.

Another study about the risks of napping was revealed in China, claiming that napping for more than 30 minutes at a time raised the chances of developing type two diabetes.

Bottom-line is, the best way to keep your body healthy is by maintaining a healthy weight by eating a healthy balanced diet and by being physically active.