#SleepAwarenessWeek may be over, but...#TBT

Today's blog post was originally published last year:

I know last week was Sleep Awareness Week, but Dr. Breus just came out with this and I thought you might find the topic interesting.

Napping May Be As Good As Blood Pressure Medication For Lowering Your Blood Pressure

An article on Medical News Today reported that a research group from the Asklepieion General Hospital in Voula, Greece conducted a study and found that taking a nap at midday can effectively help people lower their blood pressure levels. 

“Midday sleep appears to lower blood pressure levels at the same magnitude as other lifestyle changes. For example, salt and alcohol reduction can bring blood pressure levels down by 3 to 5 [millimeters of mercury (mmHg)],” reports Dr. Kallistratos.

The article states: 

According to guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a person has high blood pressure if their readings of systolic blood pressure (pressure during a heartbeat) are 140 mm Hg or higher, and their readings of diastolic blood pressure (pressure between heartbeats) are 90 mm Hg or higher. 

The researchers found that people who took a daytime nap saw a 5.3 mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure, which, the researchers explain, is about as much as someone could expect when taking blood pressure medication or making certain lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure.

Each additional 60 minutes of napping time reduced average 24-hour systolic blood pressure by 3 mm Hg. Dr. Kallistratos explains that taking low doses of specialized drugs can lower a person’s blood pressure levels by about 5–7 mm Hg on average. 

“These findings are important because a drop in blood pressure as small as 2 mm Hg can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, by up to 10 percent,” says the researcher.

And more from Dr. Breus:

You all know I am a big fan of napping, and now we have even more reason to do it! If you have not read my other blog post on napping, you might not be aware that there are 9 different types of naps. Check it out and remember to bring your eye mask to work!

Nine different types of naps?

1. The CEO nap.
2. The Nap A Latte™.
3. The New Mom nap.
4. The Sports nap.
5. The Disco nap.
6. The Siesta.
7. The Shift Work nap.
8. The Teen nap.
9. The Jet Lag nap.

Number 2 has worked really well the couple of times that I have used it. And I'm going to see about incorporating number 7 into my routine. For more on the different types of naps, check out this article.

Interesting days

Today - International Read To Me Day, Chocolate Caramel Day, Poultry Day and Client’s Day

Tomorrow - Hufflepuff Pride Day, Snowman Burning Day, Kiss Your Fiance Day, Ravioli Day, World Storytelling Day, Proposal Day, Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day and International Day of Happiness

Week long celebrations:

Mar 18 - Mar 24: Introverts Week

Next Thursday - Good Hair Day, Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, Nougat Day, Spinach Day and Purple Day

April 19 - Amaretto Day, Bicycle Day, Hanging Out Day, Garlic Day, Rice Ball Day and Poetry And The Creative Mind Day