Naps protect
against heart disease

Midday naps reduce death from heart disease, according to research from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Athens Medical School in Greece. The study followed 23,681 people living in Greece for six years. At the beginning of the study, none of the participants had a history of coronary heart disease, stroke, or cancer.

People who regularly took siestas (napped at least three times per week for at least 30 minutes) were 37% less likely to die from coronary causes. The apparent protective effect was particularly strong among working men and weaker among retirees. Among working women, there were too few deaths to make generalizations.

Siestas are common in the Mediterranean region and several Latin American countries. Those countries also tend to have low mortality rates of coronary heart disease. Study authors believe an afternoon nap may act as a stress relief for healthy individuals. (The Advocate)