Daytime naps can help preserve brain volume
It's possible that daytime naps will soon appear in recommendations for people who want to push back old age. It turns out that siesta helps preserve cognitive health by slowing down the rate at which our brains shrink with age. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the University of California and the University of the Republic in Uruguay. The results are reported in the journal Sleep Health.In the experiment, which the scientists started, probably everyone would be happy to participate. Participants aged 40 to 69 years were offered to take a nap in the afternoon. Upon waking up, they were asked to perform tests. Researchers compared how the head worked in those who took a nap and those who gave up the siesta.
"For some people, a short afternoon nap may be the secret 'key' that helps keep the brain healthy as we get older," said Dr. Victoria Garfield of UCLA. Scientists believe they have discovered a cause-and-effect relationship: those who had a habit of resting during the daytime retained more brain volume as they aged. And this is a marker of good cognitive health: it is the gradual "shrinking" of gray matter is associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Scientists wanted to establish the long-term effects of daytime sleep on brain health. To do this, they studied 97 DNA fragments to determine the predisposition to daytime sleep. And then compared the data of 380,000 people from the British biobank - dividing them into nap lovers and "chippers" who ignore siesta. The "chippers" lost out. The scientists found that siesta lovers in each age category had a larger brain volume, and they beat old age by 2.6-6.5 years.
Of course, it's unlikely to expect employers to readily agree to lengthen lunch breaks and allow employees to take a nap "without leaving the workplace." Although why not? There are precedents around the world, and there are more and more of them.
Google (both in its American offices and in branches in other countries) has special Energy Point capsules where employees can get some privacy and sleep - the free work schedule only encourages this.
In Japan, a country of workaholics, where the working day can drag on late into the evening (there is even a separate term "karoshi", meaning "death from excessive work"), they also look the other way when an employee allows himself or herself to take a nap right at the workplace.
In European companies, special rest rooms are set up - there you can take a break from the busy rhythm in a massage chair, and if you really want to - and take a nap.
How much can you sleep during the day?
"It is known that if you fall asleep for a long time during the day, then you will stay drowsy until the evening. The reason is that a person falls into a deep sleep, and the body feels that a long night has already begun. To avoid this, we recommend falling asleep for about 30 minutes, no longer," advises Dr. Victoria Garfield.
True, they did not say anything revolutionary - all the advice is well known. But since their implementation (especially in combination) really helps to prolong active years, we will cite them in full - in case someone else does not know or forgot.
- Eat quality food. The more fruits and vegetables, whole grains - the better. You need protein - from plants and seafood, oils of non-tropical plants (that is, palm oil is not recommended, but linseed oil and olive oil - yes). Minimize salt and sugar. Alcohol is now the enemy in any quantities.
- Try to devote at least 150 minutes a week to moderate to vigorous physical activity (aerobic exercise) and two days a week to moderate to vigorous intensity exercise to strengthen muscles (this can be weight lifting or regular weight training).- Откажитесь от табака. Курение - самая предотвратимая причина преждевременной смерти в США (и в России, разумеется, тоже).- Get a good night's sleep. Try to get an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
- Aim for a normal weight, which is defined as a BMI of 18, 5 to 25. If more, you need to lose 3% to 5% of your body weight.
- Control your cholesterol levels. First of all - the level of LDL ("bad" cholesterol). Specific figures will tell the doctor - depending on the state of health.
- Monitor blood sugar levels. A healthy fasting blood sugar range is less than 100 mg/dL, and 100 to 125 mg/dL indicates a risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Measure blood pressure. A systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg are the healthiest.