- A study from Mass General Brigham found that excessive napping, particularly in the morning, is linked to higher mortality rates among older adults.
- This suggests an opportunity for monitoring health conditions and possibly preventing decline.
Recent research highlights that napping habits can serve as a valuable warning sign regarding health issues in older adults. A collaborative study from Mass General Brigham and Rush University Medical Center observed 1,338 older adults over nearly two decades to better understand their napping behaviors and the associated mortality rates. Results indicated that longer and more frequent naps, especially in the morning, correlated with increased mortality rates. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.
Lead author Chenlu Gao, PhD, from the Department of Anesthesiology at Mass General Brigham, pointed out that excessive napping in older age has been associated with various health problems, including neurodegeneration and cardiovascular diseases. However, most previous studies relied on self-reported data, which often missed crucial details like the timing and regularity of naps. “Our research is among the first to establish a clear link between measured napping patterns and mortality, implying significant potential for identifying health issues early by monitoring these behaviors,” Gao explained.
Interestingly, it’s estimated that between 20% and 60% of older adults take naps. While occasional napping can help with rest, too much daytime sleep has been linked to numerous health concerns. Nevertheless, this relationship hasn’t been thoroughly studied, and past research often lacked objective measurements of napping habits.
In order to address this gap in knowledge, researchers utilized data from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, initiated in 1997, which primarily focused on cognition and neurodegeneration in older adults, particularly in northern Illinois. Starting in 2005, participants wore wrist monitors for ten days to track their activity levels, allowing the researchers to analyze napping patterns—such as length, frequency, timing, and variability over days.
By 2025, 19 years of data had been amassed from the 1,338 participants. The analysis showed that morning naps, longer naps, and frequent naps corresponded to a higher risk of mortality. Specifically, an additional hour of napping was linked to a 13% increase in mortality risk, while each extra nap a day raised the risk by 7%. Morning nappers faced a 30% increased risk when compared to those napping in the afternoon. In contrast, irregular napping did not show any significant mortality risk.
Gao added, “It’s essential to remember that this correlation does not mean causation. Excessive napping could suggest underlying illnesses, chronic problems, sleep disruptions, or issues with circadian rhythms. Given the strong link we found between napping and mortality, it may be worthwhile to consider wearable devices for daytime napping assessments to predict health declines.”
