Key points from article :
Researchers found dozing off for an hour or more each day may be dangerous.
Past research has found they can cause internal swelling called inflammation, which is bad for the heart.
Napping could also be an early sign of health problems.
Researchers looked at 20 studies of more than 300,000 people, their nap habits and their health and deaths.
People who napped for more than an hour each time were a third (34%) more likely to develop heart disease and had a 30% higher risk of premature death.
Results showed that the effect was worse for women.
For people who slept for less than 6 hours a night, afternoon naps did not increase these risks.
"Shorter naps – especially those less than 30 to 45 minutes – might improve heart health in people who sleep insufficiently at night' - Dr Zhe Pan, author.
Research by Guangzhou Medical University presented at ESC Congress 2020.
