[Research on napping: where do we stand?]

Abstract

Research on napping: WHERE DO WE STAND? Sleep specialists have proposed measures to counter the short- and long-term negative consequences of sleep deprivation, suggesting that the recovery nap could be a "powerful physiological public health tool". This article focus on napping as a "countermeasure" to the current epidemic of sleep debt. We review the restorative functions of naps explored in laboratory studies (alertness, memory, stress, immune function, pain sensitivity) with definite public health ramifications (sleep-related accidents, school and work performance, cardiovascular risk). However, the effect of naps and the nature of the sleep stages concerned have yet to be evaluated - in relation to several factors, notably their duration or the age of the subjects - with a view to optimizing adaptation strategies in populations suffering from chronic sleep deprivation.