NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Sleeping for some time during the day (nap) once or more is not a luxury and has good health effects, according to a new study published in the journal Heart.
Swiss adults who had a nap once or continuously during the day were less likely to have heart disease and strokes than those who did not, the researchers said.
Insufficient sleep is a risk factor that leads to a range of health problems, including cardiovascular problems, the study said, stressing that snoozing ability to replace lost night sleep may make it a healthy habit.
About 3,500 Swiss adults aged 35 to 75 participated in the study.
The study provided adults with information about their napping habits, sleep at night, demographics and lifestyle.
The results of the eight-year follow-up study found that people who took a nap during the day a week were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who did not, even after controlling for excessive sleep during the day.
The study also showed that these short naps can be a valuable way to relieve stress and compensate for inadequate sleep at night, thus protecting heart health.
The study did not mention the ideal nap duration, but most experts said a good daytime sleep was 20 minutes, which is enough to reap benefits, including alertness, performance and better mood.