JAMA Network Open, April 2026 | Chenlu Gao et al., Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School | Rush Memory and Aging Project
Family members who watch aging parents learn to pay attention to subtle changes: less appetite, less mobility, less energy. New research suggests that daytime napping belongs on that list.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham and Rush University Medical Center followed 1,338 adults aged 56 and older for up to 19 years. Napping was tracked with wrist-worn activity trackers. The findings revealed that each additional hour of daytime napping was associated with a 13% increase in all-cause mortality risk. Each extra nap per day was associated with a 7% higher mortality risk. Morning napping carried a 30% higher risk than afternoon napping. Irregular napping patterns showed no such association. The association remained after adjusting for age, chronic illness, medications, physical activity, and nighttime sleep quality, pointing toward napping patterns as a signal in their own right.
For adult children who watch aging parents, or partners who have noticed a shift in someone’s sleep habits, this finding is important. More frequent or longer napping, particularly in the morning, is cause for conversation with a physician. Sleep behavior is one of the easier things to observe over time, making it a helpful indicator for caretakers.
