Key points from article :
Regular daytime napping can boost brain health and size.
The brains of habitual nappers were found to be 15 cubic centimetres larger, equivalent to a delay in aging of three to six years.
The recommended nap duration is less than half an hour to achieve these benefits.
Although beneficial, napping is not culturally acceptable in many professions, limiting its widespread adoption.
Napping is beneficial in early development, reduces in frequency with age, and sees a resurgence after retirement.
Napping could potentially help mitigate brain shrinkage with age, although its effects on diseases like Alzheimer's need further research.
Researchers speculate that regular napping might protect against neurodegeneration by compensating for poor or disturbed sleep.
Using data from 35,000 participants in the UK Biobank project, the team identified a significant difference in brain volume between genetic "nappers" and "non-nappers".
Research by University College London published in the journal Sleep Health.
