Power naps really make a difference

A little siesta will definitely help recharge your batteries.

A little siesta will definitely help recharge your batteries.

Published Feb 13, 2015

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London – Power naps have long been favoured by those who fancy an energy boost when they’re flagging during the day.

But researchers have found that a quick forty winks can also help cancel out any ill-effects caused by a serious lack of sleep the night before.

Shutting your eyes for just half an hour can tackle stress and bolster the immune system by restoring levels of key hormones and proteins, French scientists discovered.

The findings may help shift workers or insomnia sufferers, who experts say are more likely to develop chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.

The study by the Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité examined a group of 11 healthy men between 25 and 32.

During one session, the men were limited to two hours of sleep for one night.

For the other session, they were able to take two, 30-minute naps the day after their sleep was restricted to two hours.

Findings revealed that after a night of limited sleep, the men had a 2.5 fold increase in levels of norepinephrine, a hormone involved in the body’s response to stress that increases the body’s heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar.

Researchers found no change in norepinephrine levels when the men had napped following a night of limited sleep.

A snooze also restored levels of interleukin-6, a protein found in saliva that has antiviral properties, suggesting naps can be beneficial for the immune system.

Dr Brice Faraut, whose study is published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, said: ‘Our data suggests a 30-minute nap can reverse the hormonal impact of a night of poor sleep. Napping may offer a way to counter the damaging effects of sleep restriction by helping the immune and neuroendocrine systems to recover.

‘The findings support the development of practical strategies for addressing chronically sleep-deprived populations, such as night and shift workers.’

Daily Mail

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