Research reveals that those who skip their afternoon naps after lunch are likely to have the mental ability of someone aged five years more than them.
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In the study, researchers analysed almost 3,000 Chinese adults who belonged to the age group of 65 and above. The sleeping patterns of the participants were examined by researchers to find out if taking an afternoon nap had any impact on their mental health.
Around 60% of those in the study agreed to take naps post lunch for a span of 30 to 90 minutes, the average siesta time was about 63 minutes.
The study has been published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
The participants underwent various tests and answered simple questions which were about date, time of the year, and basic math-related problems, in order to evaluate their mental condition, the Sun reported.
The participants were made to memorise images from geometric patterns and words as well.
It was found that the participants who napped for about an hour gave a better performance than those who skipped their sleep.
It was also found that the participants who took an hour's nap performed better than those who slept for a shorter or longer duration.
The research concluded that depletion was observed in the mental ability of those people who slept less than an hour, more than that, or didn't sleep at all. People who skipped their nap presented a four- to six-fold decrease in their mental ability than those who took an hour-long nap.
It was also found that afternoon naps were likely to provide a good sleep at nights too, as the participants who napped for a shorter time in the afternoon slept less at night, the study revealed.
