Taking a quick power nap during the day can help lower reduce hypertension levels, besides increasing your energy levels and improving mood, finds a study. The findings showed that taking a nap during the day was associated with an average 5 mm Hg drop in blood pressure. In addition, for every 60 minutes of mid-day sleep, 24-hour average systolic (top number) blood pressure decreased by 3 mm Hg.
Mid-day sleep appears to lower blood pressure levels at the same magnitude as other lifestyle changes, Moreover, people who slept during the day had more favorable blood pressure numbers readings (128.7/76.2 versus 134.5/79.5 mm Hg) compared with those who did not. We obviously don’t want to encourage people to sleep for hours on end during the day, but on the other hand, they shouldn’t feel guilty if they can take a short nap, given the potential health benefits.
The results will be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual Scientific Session. For the study, the team included 212 people aged 62 years on average with a mean blood pressure of 129.9 mm Hg.
