30. Can napping protect against negative inflammatory and health effects of poor sleep?

Abstract

Sleep loss can have negative effects on IL-6, mood and general health. While napping after sleep deprivation helps reduce IL-6 and improve mood, currently, the effect of habitual napping on these measures has not been investigated. To address this question, sleep quality and quantity were assessed in 46 college students (18–24 yrs., 16 males) over 7 days via sleep diary and actigraphy. Participants completed questionnaires assessing vital exhaustion, depression and general health. Blood samples were taken mid-week to determine IL-6 levels. Twenty-six participants napped at least once, however, their sleep duration was not significantly different from non-nappers ( t = 0.43, p = .67). Interestingly, independently of sleep duration or quality, napping was associated with better general health (beta = 2.29, p = .027), less depressive symptoms ( t = −2.15, p = .038), and less vital exhaustion ( t = −1.90, p = .065). While napping did not protect against the deleterious health effects of poor sleep quality (self-reported: beta = 0.28, p = .22), it did protect against those of sleep quantity (sleep duration: beta = 0.68, p = .034). No measures were associated with IL-6 levels. Napping may protect students against negative mental and general health effects of poor sleep. Interestingly, napping only helps compensate for sleep restriction, not for poor sleep quality. Although not seen in the current student population, those negative effects may eventually manifest in changes in inflammatory status, suggesting that napping may be one way to mitigate negative health effects of poor sleep.