Substantial prospective cohort evidence and meta-analyses indicate that frequent or prolonged daytime napping (typically longer than one hour) is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, though shorter naps may not carry the same risk.
Evidence for · 9
Daytime Napping and the Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: A 13-Year Follow-up of a British Population
2014 · cited by 129
This British cohort study found that daytime napping was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, especially for naps lasting 1 hour or longer.
Evidence against · 1
Relationship between daytime napping duration and pan-cancer risk: a prospective cohort study based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS).
2025 · cited by 1
A prospective cohort study based on the CHARLS database found an inverse association, reporting that longer daytime napping duration was associated with a lower overall cancer risk.
See more details
More for · 8
Meta-Analysis of Self-Reported Daytime Napping and Risk of Cardiovascular or All-Cause Mortality
2015 · cited by 35
A meta-analysis of prospective studies concluded that self-reported daytime napping is a mild but statistically significant predictor for all-cause mortality.
Daytime napping and risk of incident main adverse cardiovascular events and mortality among adults with type 2 diabetes.
2025 · cited by 8
A study of adults with type 2 diabetes found frequent daytime napping to be significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events.
Association of daytime napping and nighttime sleep with all-cause mortality: A prospective cohort study of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.
2023 · cited by 6
This cohort study demonstrated that prolonged napping of 90 minutes or more is linked to a higher risk of all-cause and premature mortality.
Association between self-reported napping and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: A meta-analysis of cohort studies
2024 · cited by 4
A large meta-analysis reported that individuals who indulge in daytime naps face a significantly higher mortality risk than non-nappers.
The association between napping and the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis
2020 · cited by 1
A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis confirmed that long napping over 60 minutes per day is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.
Objectively Measured Daytime Napping Patterns and All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults.
2026 · cited by 0
An actigraphy-measured study in older adults established that longer and more frequent daytime napping is associated with higher all-cause mortality.
Multiple Health Outcomes of Daytime Napping: A Comprehensive Umbrella Review.
2026 · cited by 0
An umbrella review of multiple meta-analyses indicated that napping for over 60 minutes correlates with increased chronic disease and mortality risks.
Multidimensional sleep-wake changes and risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in oldest-old women
2025 · cited by 0
Objective actigraphy tracking in older women showed that large increases in daytime napping duration more than doubled the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.