SLEEP

SLEEP 2025: Is napping tied to higher mortality risk?

June 6, 2025

Specific patterns of objectively measured daytime napping are associated with a higher risk of mortality in middle-aged and older adults, according to a new study slated for presentation at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting.

The prospective cohort study included data from 86,565 UK Biobank participants (mean age 63 years; 57% women) who wore actigraphy devices for seven days to objectively measure daytime sleep between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Over a follow-up period of up to 11 years, researchers assessed associations between napping patterns and all-cause mortality, adjusting for demographics, BMI, smoking, alcohol use, and nighttime sleep duration.

Longer naps, greater variability in nap duration, and a higher proportion of naps taken around midday and early afternoon were all significantly associated with increased mortality risk. The median nap duration was 24 minutes per day, and 6% of participants died during follow-up. These findings suggest that daytime sleep behaviors—particularly nap duration and regularity—may be important markers of health risk in middle-aged and older adults. Clinicians might consider incorporating questions about napping patterns into routine assessments of sleep health and overall risk stratification.

Source:

Gao, C., et al. (2025, June 11). Objectively-assessed napping behaviors predict mortality in middle-to-older aged adults. Poster presentation at SLEEP 2025 Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.