Study Links Longer Morning Naps to Higher Mortality in Elderly

A new study has found that longer, more frequent daytime naps, particularly those taken in the morning, are associated with a higher risk of death among older adults, potentially signaling underlying health problems such as cardiovascular disease or neurodegeneration.

Published on April 20 in JAMA Network Open, the research drew from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a long-term study of community-dwelling adults in northern Illinois. Researchers from Mass General Brigham and Rush University Medical Center analyzed data from 1,338 participants with a mean age of 81.4 years, 76 percent of whom were women. Nearly all participants, or 99 percent, engaged in daytime napping, defined as sleep between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Over an average follow-up period of 8.3 years, up to 19 years in some cases, 69 percent of the group died.

The study used wrist-worn actigraphy devices to objectively measure nap patterns for up to 14 days per participant, starting in 2005. This approach marked a departure from prior research, which often relied on self-reported habits that could introduce inaccuracies. After adjusting for factors including age, body mass index, chronic conditions, physical activity,...