A recent study has warned that napping before sunset may increase the risk of death among middle-aged and elderly people.The study, published in Sleep journal, showed increased risks associated with midday and early afternoon naps, contradicting the prevailing belief about the importance of naps, which calls for further research.Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States analyzed data of more than 86,000 people who were fitted with small devices to measure their sleep duration between 9 am and 7 pm, they found that the average nap during daytime hours typically lasted about 24 minutes, with the most common time for napping occurring between 9-11 am, while the least common time between 11 am and 1 pm.Over the course of the study, which lasted more than 11 years, more than 5,000 volunteers died. It showed that people who nap for long periods, suffer from disturbed sleep patterns, and sleep in the afternoon and early evening are at the greatest risk of death
