If you’re one to doze off in the afternoon for a good nap, then we have good news for you!

This week saw the publication of a study in the journal Sleep Health, which found a ‘modest causal association between habitual daytime napping and larger total brain volumes.’ 

Researchers say they have found evidence to suggest napping may help to protect against shrinkage. 

This is a process that happens with age and is accelerated in people with cognitive problems and neurodegenerative diseases. 

Napping has been found to regularly provide some protection against neuro-degeneration as it compensates for poor sleep. 

The data was drawn from the UK Biobank study and collected genetic, lifestyle and health information from 500,000 people aged 40 to 69 at recruitment. 

Although it initially seemed that individuals who claimed to never or rarely take daytime naps had a greater overall brain volume, the research team discovered a contrasting connection when taking into account genetic inclination for napping. 

This indicates that the initial finding may have been influenced by other factors that complicate the relationship between daytime napping and brain size.

In general, the team observed a link between genetic predisposition for regular daytime napping and a larger brain volume, which equates to a reduction in brain ageing equivalent to 2.6 to 6.5 years. However, there was no correlation found with cognitive performance, such as reaction times.

#MaltaDaily