Napping Patterns Linked to Mortality Risk in Older Adults

A groundbreaking study conducted on napping behaviors and their association with mortality risk was presented at SLEEP 2025. This research sheds light on how napping patterns may serve as indicators of health outcomes for middle-to-older aged adults.

Study Overview

The study analyzed data from the UK Biobank, which included 86,565 non-shiftworking participants with an average age of 63 years, 57% of whom were women. Participants were monitored for their daytime napping behaviors over the course of seven days using actigraphy, a method that records movement to assess sleep patterns. Daytime naps were defined as any sleep occurring between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m..

Key Findings

The researchers discovered the following insights regarding napping:

• The median nap duration was approximately 0.40 hours per day.
• Distribution of naps throughout the day was as follows:
• Longer naps and greater variability in nap duration were significantly correlated with an increased mortality risk.
• Participants who tended to nap around midday and early afternoon were also identified as being at greater risk.

Significance of Findings

Chenlu Gao, the lead author and postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, expressed surprise at the extent of daytime napping among the demographic studied. "The data underscores how common napping was among middle-to-older aged adults and the variability in their daytime sleep patterns," Gao remarked. Importantly, the findings suggest that deviations from ideal napping behaviors could have serious health implications.

Recommendations

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends limiting naps to 20–30 minutes in the early afternoon to enhance alertness. While short “power” naps can be beneficial, prolonged napping may lead to sleep inertia—a condition resulting in grogginess upon awakening, affecting short-term performance.

Study Limitations

Despite the important findings, the study acknowledges limitations. For instance:

• The actigraphy method may misclassify quiet wakefulness as sleep.
• Defining daytime naps as any sleep occurring between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. may overlap with participants' primary sleep episodes, potentially skewing the accuracy of nap classifications.

Clinical Implications

Gao advocates for incorporating daytime sleep assessments into clinical practices to identify individuals at higher risk for poor health outcomes. “The potential significance of daytime sleep behaviors in mortality risk is compelling, warranting further investigation,” said Gao.

"Incorporating actigraphy-based daytime sleep assessments into clinical and public health practices may provide novel opportunities for early risk identification and personalized interventions to promote longevity." - Chenlu Gao

Future Research Directions

Given these revelations, further studies are needed to explore the relationship between daytime napping behaviors and various health outcomes. Future research may focus on:

• Determining optimal napping durations and times for health benefits.
• Investigating potential mechanisms linking nap duration and timing to mortality risk.
• Exploring interventions to modify napping behaviors in vulnerable populations.

References

[1] Gao, C., et al. (2025). Objectively-Assessed Napping Behaviors Predict Mortality in Middle-to-Older Aged Adults, SLEEP.

[2] American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommendations on napping.

[3] UK Biobank - Participant inference and health outcomes data.

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