Having a nap time during the day is healthy, helps delay aging and supports cognition.
This conclusion is from research carried out by two universities that confirmed that short naps prevent long-term brain aging.
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The study was carried out by researchers from the University College London (England) and the University of the Republic (Uruguay). The data and conclusion were published in the scientific journal sleep health, a publication dedicated to sleep studies.
Through the medical data of more than 300,000 people, the analysis was able to analyze how sleep interferes with the brain's aging process.
They also related the benefits of sleep with people's cognitive issues and genetic predispositions. One of the results was even more incisive and pointed out that napping can delay brain aging by up to seven years.
Around the age of 35, the brain begins to
aging process, and it is common for it to suffer a reduction of 0.2 to 0.5% per year in its processing capacity. This reduction is a reflection of the decrease in neurons and their connections.Recent study findings advise that“prioritize short naps throughout the day can go a long way in preserving brain health, especially as we age,” said UCL researcher Victoria Garfield.
The main objective of the research was to find evidence that the daytime napping influences brain health. All records used were in the database UK Biobank.
Thus, the scientists analyzed the records of 378,000 people aged 40 to 69 to carry out an assessment of nap frequency.
They also consider the process in people who carry some genetic predispositions to cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
The conclusion of the research was that “according to these studies, we found an association between habitual daytime naps and higher volume whole brain, which may suggest that regular napping provides some protection against neurodegeneration by compensating for poor sleep.”
In summary, the study by the two universities found that short naps throughout the day positively influence the brain's aging process.
In that sense, the classic nap after lunch can be revolutionary, right?