ReviewSleep medicine2017
Exploring the nap paradox: are mid-day sleep bouts a friend or foe?
Review in Sleep medicine, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 60 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
60 citing papers in PubMed.
- Trial
- Daytime napping and nighttime sleep in pregnant individuals with insomnia disorder.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2023Trial
- Trial
- Article
- Nighttime sleep, midday napping, and mortality in Chinese older adults: A China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study longitudinal cohort study.The Journal of international medical research · 2026Observational
- The Impact of Sunlight and Artificial Light at Night on Sleep Stages: Evidence From a 7-Day Sensor-Based Observational Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Observational
- Optimal nap timing and body mass index: beyond duration.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Observational
- The relationship between sleep quality and blood pressure in older adults with hypertension.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Article
- Impact of NPAS2 on mPFC dopamine synthesis and nap behavior.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Assessment of Sleep Quality Among Physicians Working at Tertiary Care Centers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Nature and science of sleep · 2026Article
- Unraveling the Factors Shaping Sleep Quality among Postmenopausal Women in Indonesia.Sleep science (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2025Article
- Cognitive function trajectories and influencing factors in Chinese older adults with self-reported hearing impairment: findings from CHARLS 2013-2020.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Effect of a 90-Minute Nap at Different Times of the Day on Physical Performance, Psycho-Cognitive Responses, and Perceived Recovery in Trained Youth Male Athletes.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Effectual Environmental Enrichments for Commercial Broiler Chickens.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Review
- Sleep habits, brain functional networks, and type 2 diabetes risk: cohort studies from North American and Asian populations and mediating Mendelian randomization analyses.Diabetology & metabolic syndrome · 2025Article
- Associations of nighttime sleep, midday napping, and physical activity with all-cause mortality in older adults: the Seniors-ENRICA cohorts.GeroScience · 2025Article
- The diverse sleep structure of mid-day nap in college students.Sleep and biological rhythms · 2025Article
- Investigation of Sleep Disorders and Related Influencing Factors Among the Elderly in Southeast Coastal Regions of China: A Cross-Sectional Survey Analysis.Clinical interventions in aging · 2025Article
- Novel perspective of 'poor sleep' in public health: a narrative review.BMJ public health · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The mid-day nap, sometimes called a siesta, is a ubiquitous occurrence across the lifespan. It is well established that in addition to reducing sleepiness, mid-day naps offer a variety of benefits: memory consolidation, preparation for subsequent learning, executive functioning enhancement, and a boost in emotional stability. These benefits are present even if a sufficient amount of sleep is obtained during the night prior. However, we present a paradox: in spite of these reported benefits of naps, frequent napping has also been associated with numerous negative outcomes (eg, cognitive decline, hypertension, diabetes), particularly in older populations. This association exists even when statistically controlling for relevant health- and sleep-affecting determinants. An emerging hypothesis suggests inflammation is a mediator between mid-day naps and poor health outcomes, yet further research is necessary. Given this, it may be premature to 'prescribe' naps as a health enhancer. Herein, we aggregate findings from several branches of sleep research (eg, developmental neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, sleep medicine) to critically examine the paradoxical role of naps in cognitive and somatic health. This review uncovers gaps in the literature to guide research opportunities in the field.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.