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Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
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Daytime Napping in Adults: Benefits or Risks? Insights from Mendelian Randomization Studies
Aarohi Gupta1, Hassan S Dashti1,2,3
1Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Current Sleep Medicine Reports
|June 2, 2025
Summary
Daytime napping frequency shows mixed health effects. Mendelian randomization studies found no definitive link, with some suggesting increased disease risk and others no association.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Epidemiology
- Sleep Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Daytime napping, a brief sleep episode, has uncertain health implications.
- Traditional epidemiological studies often face confounding and reverse causality issues.
- Mendelian randomization (MR) offers a method to address these limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review Mendelian randomization (MR) studies investigating the association between daytime napping frequency and various health outcomes.
- To synthesize evidence on the causal relationship between napping and disease risk, mitigating confounding factors.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and synthesis of published Mendelian randomization (MR) studies.
- Analysis included studies examining cardiovascular, neurological, metabolic, and other health outcomes.
- Focused on studies that utilized genetic variants to infer causal relationships.
Main Results:
- 35 MR studies covering seven major disease categories were analyzed.
- 36% of tested outcomes suggested increased disease risk with frequent daytime napping.
- 54% reported no association, and 10% suggested decreased risk; findings varied and did not always align with observational data.
Conclusions:
- Current Mendelian randomization evidence does not establish a definitive conclusion on the health effects of daytime napping frequency.
- Further research is needed, exploring napping dimensions beyond frequency and incorporating diverse populations and methodologies.
- Integrating genetic and non-genetic approaches will provide a more comprehensive understanding.
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