Frequent Naps Linked to Increased Death Risk in Seniors

Excessive napping in older adults is associated with higher all-cause mortality , according to a long-running study led by Mass General Brigham and Rush University Medical Center. The research, published on April 20, 2026, in JAMA Network Open , followed 1,338 older individuals for as long as 19 years and compared their napping patterns with mortality outcomes.

Researchers reported that several nap characteristics moved in the same direction: longer naps, more frequent naps, and naps taken in the morning were each linked to higher mortality. Using wrist activity monitors, the team captured objective measures of nap duration, how often participants napped, the time of day naps occurred, and how much napping varied from day to day. The study design aimed to reduce reliance on self-reported sleep habits by using continuous activity-based monitoring.

The results included specific risk estimates tied to incremental changes in napping. Each additional hour of daily napping was associated with about a 13% higher mortality risk, and each additional nap per day was associated with roughly a 7% higher risk. Timing also mattered: participants who napped in the morning showed a 30% higher mortality risk than those who napped in the afternoon, based on the study’s comparisons.

Importantly, the researchers framed excessive napping as a potential signal rather than a proven cause. The findings suggest that heavy or shifting daytime sleep could reflect underlying health issues, including chronic diseases, sleep disturbances, or circadian dysregulation. In that interpretation, napping patterns may function as an early indicator of emerging medical problems that later contribute to mortality, rather than napping itself directly driving the outcome.

For healthcare systems and aging-focused services, the study points to a practical clinical use: tracking daytime sleep may help identify older patients who warrant closer evaluation. Because the data came from wrist activity monitors, the work also highlights how wearable devices can produce detailed, longitudinal information on daily routines that may be difficult to capture in routine clinic visits.

The authors emphasized the value of monitoring nap length, frequency, timing, and variability as potentially actionable signals in older populations.

At the same time, the study’s conclusions leave key uncertainties. The research reports associations with all-cause mortality, but it does not establish that napping causes death, and it does not specify which underlying conditions most strongly explain the observed links. The findings nonetheless add to evidence that changes in sleep and circadian patterns can coincide with broader health deterioration, reinforcing the clinical relevance of sleep-related monitoring in aging care.