Midday nap habits among German adults, Digi Mart USA News (Germany): Nearly half of adults in Germany take a midday nap at least once a week, according to a representative survey by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Most of those napping do so one to two times a week, while somewhat fewer people nap daily in the form of a short power nap.
The survey, which included roughly 8,000 participants, found that about 45 percent had taken a midday nap or lain down and done nothing active at least once a week over the previous four weeks. Women reported this at 47 percent and men at 44 percent.
The survey did not ask whether people would like to nap more often but cannot, for example because of their jobs.
Daily midday napping was most common among people aged 65 and older and among those with lower formal education levels. According to the RKI, a nap of under 60 minutes has a positive effect, with people feeling less tired and more capable afterward.
About a quarter of adults who nap at least once a week sleep for 60 minutes or longer. The RKI said such long naps correlate with an increased risk of metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, dementia and depression.
However, the agency stressed that this is a statistical correlation, not a proven causal link, and that people with more underlying conditions may simply need more sleep.
Women under 45 more often take longer midday naps at least once a week than older age groups. The RKI suggested that increased strain from care work and reduced nighttime sleep could be a possible explanation.
The survey also asked how long people sleep at night. The adult population averages 7 hours and 26 minutes per night: 7 hours and 15 minutes on weekdays and 7 hours and 53 minutes on weekends.
Young adults aged 18 to 29 sleep more than an hour longer on weekends than on weekdays, at 8 hours and 23 minutes versus 7 hours and 20 minutes.
Many sleep specialists recommend that adults sleep seven to nine hours per night, and seven to eight hours from age 65, while emphasizing that individual sleep needs vary considerably.
