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Objectively Measured Daytime Napping Patterns and All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults
Chenlu Gao1,2,3, Ruixue Cai1,2, Xi Zheng1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
JAMA Network Open
|April 20, 2026
Summary
Longer and more frequent daytime naps in older adults are linked to increased mortality risk. Morning naps, in particular, show a higher risk, suggesting potential for early health monitoring using wearable devices.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Epidemiology
- Sleep Science
Background:
- Daytime napping is prevalent in older adults, but objective data on nap patterns and mortality risk is scarce.
- Previous research relied on self-reported napping, potentially introducing bias.
- Specific nap characteristics like timing and duration variability remain understudied in relation to mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between objective daytime nap patterns (duration, frequency, variability, timing) and all-cause mortality in older adults.
- To utilize actigraphy data for precise measurement of napping behaviors.
- To identify potential early indicators of mortality risk through sleep pattern analysis.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving community-dwelling older adults (aged 56+) from the Rush Memory and Aging Project.
- Actigraphy devices were used to objectively assess daytime napping (9 am-7 pm) for up to 14 days.
- Cox proportional hazards regression models analyzed associations between baseline nap characteristics and subsequent all-cause mortality, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Longer daytime nap duration (per 1-hour increase) was associated with a 13% increased mortality risk (AHR=1.13).
- Higher nap frequency (per additional daily nap) was linked to a 7% increased mortality risk (AHR=1.07).
- Morning nappers exhibited a 30% higher mortality risk compared to early afternoon nappers (AHR=1.30). Nap duration variability was not significantly associated with mortality.
Conclusions:
- Objective measures reveal that longer, more frequent daytime naps, particularly those occurring in the morning, are associated with increased all-cause mortality in older adults.
- These findings highlight the potential of wearable device-based nap assessment for early identification of health risks.
- Integrating objective sleep data into clinical and public health practices could offer new avenues for proactive health management.
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