Napping makes the heart grow stronger
Greeks who take regular naps are significantly reducing their chances of developing fatal heart disease, a study by researchers at the University of Athens Medical School and Harvard University has revealed. A six-year study of nearly 24,000 Greek adults found that those who napped at least three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease than non-nappers. «We interpret our results as indicating that among healthy adults, a siesta may reduce coronary mortality, possibly due to stress-releasing consequences,» a lead author of the study, Androniki Naska, wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a bimonthly medical journal. «This is an important finding because the siesta habit is common in many parts of the world, including the Mediterranean and Central America,» Naska said.