Scientists: regular daytime sleep may be a sign of serious health problems

New studyAssociation of Nap Frequency With Hypertension or Ischemic Stroke Supported by Prospective Cohort Data and Mendelian Randomization in Predominantly Middle-Aged European Subjects showed that frequent daytime dream correlates with a higher risk of hypertension and stroke. This connection was identified after analyzing almost 360,000 depersonalized records of the British Biobank.

Scientists notethat these health risks may not be due to daytime sleep, but to a generally poor regimen, which many try to compensate for with a couple of hours of rest at lunch.

Previous research has identified a potential link between daytime sleep and hypertension and, as a result, one of its main complications, stroke. In the same study, the researchers applied what is known as Mendelian randomization, which uses genetic data to evaluate or rule out the relationship between risk factors.

From all the records available for analysis, the data of those people who, even before the study, had high blood pressure or had strokes, were removed.

It turned out that those who regularly sleep during the day, the risk of hypertension increased over time by 12%, and stroke - by 24%. And this risk was higher in younger people under the age of 60. And an increase in the frequency of daytime sleep could lead to a 40% increase in the risk of hypertension.

Sleeping habits and hypertension may be symptoms of the same problem rather than cause and effect, the researchers noted.

The researchers now plan to further study the link between a healthy sleep pattern, including daytime naps, and the development of cardiovascular disease.