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Afternoon naps could reduce blood pressure
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A new study has found that taking an afternoon nap could reduce blood pressure, consequently cutting down the risk of heart attacks. Researchers at the Liverpool John Moores University in Liverpool, U.K., have discovered that the time just before one
falls asleep in the afternoon is the most beneficial in reducing BP and lessening the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
According to the researchers, change in blood pressure is the key factor linking afternoon naps to cardiovascular function. The current study provides a detailed description of changes in cardiovascular function of daytime sleep in healthy individuals, comparing napping with other daytime activities such as standing and lying down without going to sleep.
For the study, the researchers tested nine healthy volunteers (eight men, one woman) who did not routinely take afternoon naps. The volunteers wore equipment that checked BP, heart rate, and forearm cutaneous vascular conductance (which determines dilation of blood vessels). During one afternoon session, the volunteer spent an hour resting, lying face-up in bed. During another session, the volunteer spent an hour relaxed, but standing. And in one session, the volunteer was allowed an hour to sleep, lying face-up. During the sleep stage, the researchers measured the volunteer’s different stages of sleep.
Researchers found a significant drop in BP during the sleep trial, and not during the resting or standing trials.
The study, ‘Acute Changes in Cardiovascular Function During the Onset Period of Daytime Sleep: Comparison to Lying Awake and Standing,’ appears in the online edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology, published by The American Physiological Society.
ANI
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