Women shouldn't nap too long?

We are generally told that taking an afternoon nap is good for us, although who has the time to do that? However, the benefits may be limited and depend on how long a rest we take, mainly if you are a woman. Taking a long nap may have limited rewards.

Afternoon naps may help de-stress and refresh during the day. Still, new research in the journal Heart & Lung reveals that taking extended afternoon naps (over 90 mins) is connected to developing high blood pressure for women.

The study of 7,980 Chinese participants, measured variables including age and gender and found that middle-aged and older women who took naps longer than 90-minutes were 39 per cent and 54 per cent more likely to have high blood pressure, respectively.

"Not found to be associated with high blood pressure in men."

However, the study found a difference between men and women, and extended afternoon napping was not found to be associated with high blood pressure in men

The researchers state that future studies are needed to further examine the link between hypertension and napping.

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