Scientists claim taking 30 minute kips each day may raise risk of developing an irregular heartbeat 

Sometimes it’s tempting to take a mid-afternoon siesta to get through the day.

But as a warning to snoozers, experts have found that a 30-minute nap a day can increase your risk of an irregular heartbeat.

Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heartbeat.

It affects more than 40 million people worldwide and patients are five times more likely to have a stroke than their peers.

To find out if napping could be linked to the condition, researchers analyzed data from more than 20,000 people who did not have an irregular heartbeat.

Participants completed a questionnaire every two years and were assigned to three groups based on their average daily nap time: none, less than 30 minutes, or 30 minutes and more.

Compared to short daytime naps, those who slept 30 minutes or more a day had an almost doubled risk of developing atrial fibrillation.

Meanwhile, compared to short naps, the risk was not increased in those who avoided naps.

Further analysis found that the ideal nap time seemed to be between 15 and 30 minutes, as these people had a 56 percent lower risk of developing an irregular heartbeat compared to those who snoozed for half an hour or more.

Dr. Diaz-Gutierrez, from Juan Ramon Jimenez University Hospital in Spain, said: ‘Previous studies have suggested that sleep patterns may play a role in the development of atrial fibrillation, but to our knowledge this was the first study to examine the relationship between daytime naps and risk.

“Our research indicates that snoozes should be limited to less than 30 minutes during the day, and the results suggest that the optimal duration of a nap is 15 to 30 minutes.”

He said there are plenty of possible explanations for the link between naps and heart health.

Long daytime naps, for example, can disrupt the body’s internal clock, leading to a shorter night’s sleep, more awakenings during the night, and decreased physical activity.

Meanwhile, short naps during the day can improve our body clock, lower blood pressure and reduce stress.

“People with disrupted sleep should avoid relying on naps to make up for the deficit,” he added.

Atrial fibrillation, characterized by symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness and shortness of breath, affects around 1.4 million people in the UK.

It can affect adults of any age, but is more common in older people and men.

The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Preventive Cardiology Congress.