Not getting enough sleep can lead to mental and physical health problems, increase a person’s risk of injuries and a loss of productivity.
One Omnibus study found a whopping 7.5 million Brits are sleep deprived getting in less than five hours of sleep a night.
Dementia, increased heart problems and diabetes are some of the health outcomes associated with not getting enough shut eye.
“We need to stop seeing sleep as a luxury and start seeing it as a necessity,” says registered clinical psychologist and founder of The Sleep Practice.
When it comes to the biggest sleep struggles amongst Brits, it’s the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep with many opting for afternoon naps. But is this the healthiest choice?
A 2023 study by University College London (UCL) looked at data, provided by UK Biobank, and analysed 35,000 people aged between 40 and 69.
The aim of the study was to further analyse how habitual napping affects health outcomes.
It found that brains of people who napped several times a week were larger than the brains of those who don’t.
It also found that ageing can be delayed for those who enjoy the odd nap here and there, improving it by three to six years.
Victoria Garfield, lead author said: “The big finding was that daytime napping is, quite robustly, causally linked to having a larger brain volume.The brain naturally shrinks with age and a smaller brain volume has been linked to a wide range of diseases.”
She added: “People who have a smaller brain volume are more likely to have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, or a diagnosis of sleep apnea… many have cardiovascular disease.”
The risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease also decreased, finding the study to be a ‘positive message that having a nap could help the brain.
Adding: “Anything you can do to preserve your brain size for as long as possible is a good thing.”
But when it comes to how long a person should be napping, resident NHS GP David Nichols has the answer.
He said: “To prevent you from falling into the deep part of your sleep cycle where you may wake up feeling groggy, the ideal length for a nap is about 20-30 minutes.”
He added: “It’s best to have a nap in the early afternoon, when your body experiences a natural circadian dip.
“If you nap later in the afternoon, it will affect your sleep quality of night, with people reporting difficulties falling asleep or frequent wakening”.
For tips from an expert to help improve your sleep, Dr Nichols suggests having a regular sleep schedule, avoiding electronic devices before bed, regular exercising and avoiding alcohol and caffeine late in the day.
