Does a midday nap reduce the risk of dementia?

The key nap, the "Dungerl" or, to bring it into the present of Anglicisms, the power nap is elevated to cult status in Asia as well as in the large think tanks of Silicon Valley. Here, siestas are taken after lunch - to increase productivity, of course.

The fact that this measure could prevent us from developing dementia such as Alzheimer's disease in the long term is a new aspect that researchers have recently investigated.

The study, published in the journal Sleep Health, was conducted by the British University College London and the University of the Republic of Uruguay.

DNA samples from almost 380,000 people aged between 40 and 69 were examined. Specifically, there were 97 DNA snippets that apparently determine how likely it is that a person regularly takes a nap.

The result was that there is indeed a connection between naps and dementia, or the preservation of brain volume.

Preservation of brain volume?

The interesting result is that the brains of people who take a midday nap are on average 1.3 percent larger.

Now it is important to know that the brain loses mass with the ageing process, in the case of dementia more so. By maintaining volume, the group of people who tended to sleep had brains that were 2.6 to 6.5 years younger, as The Register writes.

And other positive effects?

But what about the highly praised higher efficiency and more intensive brain activity in midday sleepers?

At the moment, the results of the study relate solely to the volume of the brain.

In three other important measures of brain health, hippocampal volume, reaction time and visual processing, the test subjects did not show any better values.

What is the ideal power nap?

A dear older friend is a fan of the key nap, which she always says lasts as long as you can hold a bunch of keys in your hand when you fall asleep. When it falls to the floor, it's time to get up - that's around 20 minutes on average and it's pretty much the same length as a healthy nap.

According to older studies, anything that goes beyond this can even have the opposite effect and make us ill.

pro.earth conclusion

Incidentally, the siesta would also be an opportunity to follow the relaxed inhabitants of the south and escape the midday heat - at least for 20 minutes. Dear boss, we in the editorial team would also be delighted if you would allow us to take a nap! 😉💚