Study Shows Taking Long Naps Means You're More Likely To Die Young

I was perusing the Internet today when I stumbled across a scientific study that made me stop, weep and then rethink all of my life goals.

If you like taking naps you're more likely to die young, according to a study out of Cambridge University.

For. Fuck's. Sake. I'm a napper. I'm so much of a napper that my friends have dubbed me 'Grizzly', partly because I'm hairy and partly because I love hibernating.

I'm not even 25 and I have barely achieved any of the things I'd hoped I would in my life. And I know people will say, "Well fuck it, live fast die young," but I'm really not that kind of person. I'd much rather live at an average pace and die old.

But here we are anyway.

As reported in Medical Daily, the 2014 study had researchers follow 16,000 British men and women aged between 40 and 79 over 13 years.

The researchers asked them about their napping habits and found there were people who napped for more than an hour per day, those than napped for less than an hour a day and those who simply didn't nap.

By the end of the 13-year study, people who napped for more than an hour a day were 32% more likely to have died than the non-nappers.

Of course, cause of deaths varied and included heart disease, cancer and respiratory illness, but that didn't stop researchers coming to the conclusion that whatever causes day-time fatigue is causing people to die younger.

Short mid-day naps, you're all good. Long afternoon sleeps, you're fucked.

I am fucked and I am not happy about it because I bloody love an afternoon nap. In fact I'd rather die than give up napping. How sad.

Words by George Pavlou

Featured image credit: Andrew Roberts via Flickr

Topics: Study, Sleep

George Pavlou

Something witty and self-deprecating...

@G_Pavlou