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Why 40 winks is good for you
Paris study finds that a 30-minute nap can reverse the harmful effects of a poor night’s sleep
ONE IN FIVE people in France suffer with chronic insomnia - but a Paris study has found that even a brief nap can reverse the harmful health effects of a poor night's sleep.
Researchers at the Universite Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cite found that a 30-minute nap the day after a night in which sleep was restricted to two hours were enough to return hormone levels to near normal.
The study’s author Dr Brice Faraut said: “Our data suggests a 30-minute nap can reverse the hormonal impact of a night of poor sleep.”
Lack of sleep can lead to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression. The Paris study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, is the first to establish the benefits of napping at a hormonal level.
The research involved 11 healthy men aged between 25 and 32, whose sleep was restricted to two hours for one night. The following day, levels of a stress hormone were more than twice the healthy norm, while levels of a vital protein that fights illness had dipped.
The participants were allowed to nap following a second night of restricted sleep. When tested after the 30-minute sleep, hormone and protein levels were found to be nearly normal.
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Dr Faraut said: "The findings support the development of practical strategies for addressing chronically sleep-deprived populations, such as night and shift workers."
Dr Jean-Daniel Flaysakier, meanwhile, advised those struggling to get to sleep at nights to avoid large meals before bedtime, as well as alcohol and caffeine.
He told France 3: “We must learn to respect the rhythm of sleep. Sleep is a series of phases (...) that are linked together and repeated four to six times in the night.
“When we feel tired, go to bed. If we struggle to fall asleep, wait for the next phase.”
He also advocated a mid-afternoon nap for anyone finding it difficult to get a full night’s sleep. “A 10 to 20-minute nap between 2pm and 4pm can help people recover from a bad night,” he said.
And he warned against sleeping pills, describing them as “a disaster” and saying that should only be prescribed by a doctor as a short-term sleeping aid.
Also read: A nap a day keeps the doctor away
One in five fall asleep at work
