Midday nap a valuable break that can also help with high blood pressure
Whether a midday nap affects blood pressure positively or negatively has been debated again and again in recent years. At first naps were thought to have a positive effect, but that was later disputed. However, the latest research now again speaks in favor of a short midday nap.
People troubled by high blood pressure can take a cue from a study at the Asklepieion General Hospital in Voula. The Greek researchers studied 212 people with highnormal blood pressure. The average age of the participants was 62. One group regularly took a midday nap, while the second group went through their day without this midday rest. The naps in the first group lasted between 48 and 54 minutes.
In comparison, the systolic blood pressure values of the participants who took a midday nap fell significantly. While the blood pressure of those who didnt nap remained essentially unchanged as expected, the top value for the nappers dropped by 3 to 5 mmHg. Thats roughly the same reduction you can achieve by giving up alcohol or following a lowsalt diet. There was also a relationship between nap length and blood pressure reduction. For every 60 minutes of napping, the 24hour average blood pressure fell by 3 mmHg.
With elevated blood pressure, beneficial effects on the risk of developing cardiovascular problems can already be expected from a reduction of as little as 2 mmHg.
By the way, the midday nap has a completely different status in places like Japan than it does here. There its perfectly normal to take a nap in public. In the U.S., many companies offer rest rooms with reclining chairs for the power nap the short snooze during the day. Even in Germany the midday nap is slowly losing its image as a sign of laziness and is being seen more as an energyboosting minibreak after which people can return to work refreshed. This change in attitude is desirable in any case, also to help counteract high blood pressure and its complications.
However, if the midday nap becomes a must, or if you find yourself dozing off unintentionally during the day and can hardly manage your daily routine without these short naps, a problem with nighttime sleep may be the cause. This should be taken seriously and checked by a doctor, because sleep disorders can in turn negatively affect blood pressure.
Sources:
This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 12/2025).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.
