(HealthDay News) — A daytime nap of at least 45 minutes may help stressed-out people lower their blood pressure and protect their heart, a new study suggests.
The finding comes from a study that involved 85 healthy university students, divided into two groups. One group had an hour-long period during the day to sleep, and the others had no time to sleep. Both groups were given a mental stress test.
Blood pressure and pulse rates increased in both groups of students when they took the stress test, but the average blood pressure of those who slept for at least 45 minutes was significantly lower after the stress test than it was for those who did not sleep.
“Our findings suggest that daytime sleep may offer cardiovascular benefit by accelerating cardiovascular recovery following mental stressors,” wrote the researchers, Ryan Brindle and Sarah Conklin of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa.
“Further research is needed to explore the mechanism by which daytime sleep is linked with cardiovascular health and to evaluate daytime sleep as a recuperative and protective practice, especially for individuals with known cardiovascular disease risk and those with suboptimal sleep quality,” they added.
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I’d like to forward this article to my boss, but something tells me he won’t be so understanding…
This information doesn’t help me a bit since the side effect of the HBP Drugs they have me on is insomia and depression and I have to take a depression drug and ambrien at night just to get 5 hours sleep if I’m lucky. No chance for any naps.
I TRIED THE RESPERATE THING, AND IT HAS REALLY HELPED MY BP..
Pray and eat Greek Organic yogurt 6 oz every morning with 1/4th tsp each cinnemom and turmeric exercise 30 min everyday fast and slow walk in place every tv commercial. IT worked for me and I am off all meds! BP normal. Also I found if I am careful what I eat after 12 noon I sleep like a log. I experimented until I found that any cholesteral bearing food was best eaten early in the day cereal and cookies and milk at night
before breakfast eat one garlic clove with one teaspoon of honey makes blood pressure normal.
nap makes bp normal its true for hyper tensions.
haha Greg….I agree with you! How can I explain to my boss that allowing me to nap is more cost effective than having to leave for doctor appts or to take my medications! I do squeeze in a 10 minute Resperate session at my desk though & that does help a lot!!