Our sleep patterns change significantly throughout our lifespan. Literature shows that aging can impact our sleep through changes in sleep staging, including longer time to fall asleep, more time awake at night, and more light sleep. These changes may consequently lead to trouble with sleep quality and quantity as we get older. In fact, according to research done at the University of California, San Diego, about 40-50% of older adults reported sleep disturbances, which can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and unintentional napping.
Sleep disturbances are commonly reported by older adults.
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Although research supports that napping can be useful in catching up on lost sleep and help with memory, other research warns that frequent naps may impact sleep-wake regulation. The sleep-wake regulation is a part of the circadian clock, which is the body’s 24-hour cycle on when to sleep and wake up based on daylight. The cycle is impacted by a variety of factors, including melatonin, which is a hormone that helps us sleep. A recent study by researchers at the University of Liège in Belgium revealed the impacts of regular napping on circadian regulation of sleep, sleepiness, sleep characteristics, and vigilance performance. The researchers assessed 60 healthy adults ages 60 and older, 30 of whom identified as nappers who regularly nap for more than 30 minutes twice per week for at least a year. All participants were asked to take 10 naps throughout the span of 40 hours. They also had a baseline sleep period before the naps and recovery sleep period after the naps.
The researchers performed statistical analyses on the participants’ results to compare between nappers and non-nappers. They found that, compared to non-nappers, nappers had less melatonin secretion. Nappers also had higher sleep efficiencies and deeper sleep during daytime naps. During the day, nappers were sleepier and had varied vigilance performance at altered circadian sleep–wake cycles. This can lead to an adverse change that causes regular nappers to be more alert at night and sleep deeper during naps in the day.
There are several suggestions for naps to make them less disruptive to your sleep-wake cycle:
- Nap for no more than 20 minutes.
- Nap early in the afternoon before 3.p.m.
- Create a dark, quiet, and cool environment for napping.
Daytime napping can be a beneficial way to improve alertness and feeling more refreshed. However, it is important to be aware of the potential risks of napping too much or too close to bedtime. These tips can help keep the benefits of napping without disrupting the sleep-wake cycle.
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