Wholeness Healing Center

Don’t Lose Sleep Over Napping

“[. . .]regular napping can preserve cognitive health by slowing down brain shrinkage as we age […] Who doesn’t want a bigger brain? Brain shrinkage, a process that occurs with age, is accelerated in people with cognitive problems and neurodegenerative diseases.”

I have never been a napper. It was just not something I felt I could do. As I have grown older, or perhaps as I have become less driven and willing to have downtime, I consider taking a quick afternoon nap. This seems like an obvious choice if you are feeling tired, but in the past, a nap would prevent me from sleeping at night. Then my daughter said, “You should nap; it is good for you. It is good for the brain and your cognitive functioning.” This led me to Google to explore if there were a good reason to take a nap. (Davis, 2023)

My exploration led me to a fascinating study titled “Daytime naps could have an anti-aging effect on our brains.” With its compelling findings, this research revealed that regular napping can preserve cognitive health by slowing down brain shrinkage as we age. The study found that the brains of nappers were 15 cubic centimeters larger than their non-napping counterparts, potentially delaying aging by three to six years. That piqued my interest. (Warren-Lister, 2023) Who doesn’t want a bigger brain?

Brain shrinkage, a process that occurs with age, is accelerated in people with cognitive problems and neurodegenerative diseases. Some research suggests this may be related to sleep problems. This scientific evidence was a game-changer, making me consider this more. Short daytime naps preserve the health of our brains as we age. Now there is evidence to suggest that napping may help to protect against brain shrinkage.

It makes sense that sleep issues relate to brain health, so napping may impact our brain health. We talked about how important sleep is to the brain. Poor sleep causes inflammation and affects the connections between brain cells. Short naps help compensate for inadequate sleep. Good sleep affects our stress levels, heart health, mood, and mental health, as well as enhanced skin, health and weight maintenance, just as poor sleep affects these areas as well. Technically, what I found is that these areas are also positively impacted by napping.

Napping can lower stress levels (cortisol levels). Managing our stress through naps can be beneficial, increase our overall well-being, and help with anti-aging. Sleep and napping support skin health by allowing for proper cell regeneration and repair. This helps us maintain youthful and healthy skin appearance. Sleep improves our mood and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. Positive mental health is linked to a more youthful and vibrant appearance (not to mention a better quality of life). Naps can lower the risk of heart disease by reducing blood pressure and improving cardiovascular health. Napping can help regulate appetite and metabolism, contributing to a healthier weight. These benefits are important for health and well-being, impacting our aging process and quality of life.

The amount of napping matters. Previous research has suggested that long naps could be an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disorder, Shorter and less frequent naps are recommended – lasting less than 30 minutes, no more than four times a week. People who deliberately napped at certain times instead of dozing off whenever they felt tired scored higher on the cognitive tests. Other studies show that naps of 30 minutes or less provide the best short-term cognitive benefits and improve people’s learning ability.

Gaining the benefits of napping includes napping tips: keep the nap short, 10-20 minutes. Nap early to avoid interfering with nighttime sleep. Create a restful environment and maintain a consistent schedule.
Don’t lose sleep over napping. Go ahead and schedule napping as a component of self-care, quality of life, physical well-being, and a real game changer for anti-aging. Give it a try and see if your daily Wordle or Sudoku improves, and enjoy a few ZZZs when you are tired.

Works Cited:
Davis, N. (2023, June 20). Neuroscience. Retrieved from The Guardian: theguardian.com/science
Harvard Medical School. (2021, May 1). Regular afternoon naps can help wake up aging brains. Retrieved from Harvard Health Publishing Medical School: https://www.health.harvard.edu/
Warren-Lister, M. (2023, June 21). Daytime naps could have an anti-aging effect on our brains. Retrieved from Women’s Health: www.womenshealthmag.com