There’s nothing quite like a good afternoon nap, especially after a heavy lunch or on a lazy Sunday. For many of us, it’s a quick and relaxing way to recharge and feel refreshed. In fact, in many cultures, especially in India, a short nap in the afternoon is almost a daily routine.
But while a nap may feel harmless or even healthy, a new study has raised serious questions about its long-term effects. According to researchers, regular daytime napping may be linked to a higher risk of early death.
The study, presented at the SLEEP 2025 conference, tracked the sleep habits of over 86,000 healthy middle-aged adults. It found that those who regularly took naps during the day, especially longer or irregular naps were up to 20 per cent more likely to die prematurely than those who didn’t nap at all.
Napping may signal poor nighttime sleep
Experts suggest that frequent daytime naps may not be the problem themselves—but instead a warning sign of something deeper. It could be that these naps reflect poor quality sleep at night or even early signs of more serious health issues like heart failure, dementia, or undiagnosed sleep disorders.
“The major takeaway here is that doctors should be asking patients not just about how well they sleep at night, but also about their daytime napping habits,” said Professor James Rowley from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who was not involved in the study.
How the study was conducted
The research team used a device called an actigraph—a small, watch-like gadget that tracks movement and rest to monitor the participant’s sleep for a week. All participants were middle-aged, did not work night shifts, and had no major illnesses at the start of the study.
Daytime naps were defined as any sleep that occurred between 9am and 7pm. On average, participants took 24-minute naps, with about one-third of these naps happening between 9am and 11am.
Researchers then followed the participants over 11 years. During this time, 5,189 people died. They observed that longer and more frequent naps, especially in the late morning or early afternoon were linked to a higher risk of death.
Even after adjusting for other lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol use, and total sleep duration, the study still found that people who had less consistent nap routines had a 14 per cent higher risk of death. Those who napped between 11am and 1pm had a 7 per cent increased risk.
Napping patterns may reveal health risks
Lead researcher Professor Chenlu Gao from Harvard Medical School explained that napping isn’t necessarily bad, but the timing, duration, and consistency of naps could reflect important health clues.
“It’s not just whether someone naps, but how long, how often, and when they nap that could give us early warning signs of health risks,” she said.
“Napping is a part of the body’s natural 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. Ignoring it in health assessments means we could be missing a big piece of the puzzle.”
Could napping disrupt the brain’s natural processes?
Other scientists believe that long daytime naps may interfere with the body’s circadian rhythm, our internal clock that regulates sleep, hormones, digestion, and brain activity.
Experts from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm suggest that excessive daytime sleep might affect the brain’s ability to clear waste, which naturally builds up during waking hours. This disruption could make the brain more vulnerable to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
In fact, a separate landmark study last year published in The Lancet found that nearly half of all Alzheimer’s cases could be prevented by tackling 14 lifestyle factors, such as hearing loss, poor vision, and lack of physical activity.
Dementia, inactivity, and health costs
Dementia remains the leading cause of death in the UK, with 74,261 deaths in 2022, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK. That’s more than cancer or heart disease.
The economic impact is just as serious. The NHS is estimated to spend 700 million euros each year treating conditions linked to poor sleep and inactivity. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization warns that physical inactivity causes about 2 million deaths globally each year, ranking it among the top 10 health risks.
What should you do?
So, should you stop napping altogether? Not necessarily. Short, occasional naps especially when you’re sleep-deprived can still offer benefits. But if you find yourself needing a nap every day, or feeling sleepy despite a full night’s rest, it may be time to check in with your doctor.
“Consistent daytime drowsiness is not normal,” says Professor Gao. “It may be your body’s way of telling you that something else is wrong.”