Liam Ellis, Bernado C Barata, Russell Conduit, Barbora de Courten, Catherine Itsiopoulos, Gerard A Kennedy, Ourania Kolokotroni, Rob Lawson, Maria C Mosquera, Emmanuel Aprilakis, Achilleas Pavlou, Sophia Xenos, Yang Yap, Labros S Sidossis
Daytime napping is a culturally embedded practice in Mediterranean populations, yet its health impacts remain unclear. When assessed in an international context, the impact of napping shows mixed results. This systematic review evaluated the associations between daytime napping, health outcomes, quality of life, and lifespan in Mediterranean populations, where napping is culturally embedded. Following PRISMA guidelines, electronic searches of Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, and SCOPUS were conducted. Eligible studies were empirical, peer-reviewed, and only included samples from the Mediterranean region. Findings were inconsistent across all health outcomes. However, there was a trend for short naps (≤30 min/day) to be associated with beneficial cardiovascular outcomes and metabolic health. In contrast, longer naps (>30 min/day) were more often associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases in older adults. Interpretation was limited by methodological heterogeneity, including varied nap definitions, over-reliance on self-reports, and poor evaluation and/or adjustment for sleep disorders or excessive daytime sleepiness. These findings imply that naps should be seen as part of the broader Mediterranean lifestyle and future research should use validated, standardised assessments of napping while simultaneously accounting for sleep disorders, daytime sleepiness, and nocturnal sleep. This will lead to better insights into the role of culturally embedded napping in health.