Association between napping and 24-hour blood pressure variability among university students: A pilot study

Jie Dai; Hua-Ying Wu; Xiao-Dong Jiang; Yong-Jie Tang; Hao-Kai Tang; Li Meng; Na Huang; Jing-Yu Gao; Jian Li; Julien S Baker; Chan-Juan Zheng; Yi-De Yang

doi:10.3389/fped.2023.1062300

Association between napping and 24-hour blood pressure variability among university students: A pilot study

Front Pediatr. 2023 Mar 2:11:1062300. doi: 10.3389/fped.2023.1062300. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jie Dai^{1

2}, Hua-Ying Wu², Xiao-Dong Jiang^{1

2}, Yong-Jie Tang^{1

2}, Hao-Kai Tang^{1

2}, Li Meng^{1

2}, Na Huang^{1

2}, Jing-Yu Gao^{1

2}, Jian Li³, Julien S Baker⁴, Chan-Juan Zheng^{1

2}, Yi-De Yang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
² Key Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology of Hunan Province, School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
⁴ Centre for Health and Exercise Science Research, Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Abstract

Background: Blood pressure variability (BPV) has been reported to be a predictor of cardiovascular and some cognitive diseases. However, the association between napping and BPV remains unknown. This study aimed to explore the association between napping and BPV.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study including 105 university students was conducted. Participants' 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24 h ABPM) were measured, and napping behaviors were investigated. BPV were measured by the 24 h ABPM, included standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and average real variability (ARV).

Results: Among the participants, 61.9% reported daytime napping. We found that nap duration was significantly associated with daytime CV of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r = 0.250, P = 0.010), nighttime CV of systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r = 0.217, P = 0.026), 24 h WCV of DBP (r = 0.238, P = 0.014), 24 h ARV of SBP (r = 0.246, P = 0.011) and 24 h ARV of DBP (r = 0.291, P = 0.003). Compared with the no napping group, 24 h WCV of DBP, daytime CV of DBP, and daytime SD of DBP were significantly higher in participants with napping duration >60 min. With multiple regression analysis we found that nap duration was an independent predictor for 24 h ARV of SBP (β = 0.859, 95% CI, 0.101-1.616, P = 0.027) and 24 h ARV of DBP (β = 0.674, 95% CI, 0.173-1.175, P = 0.009).

Conclusions: Napping durations are associated with BPV among university students. Especially those with napping durations >60 min had a significantly higher BPV than those non-nappers.

Keywords: 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring; average real variability; blood pressure variability; napping duration; university students.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81903336), Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2019JJ50376, 2022JJ40287), Hunan Province College Students Research Learning and Innovative Experiment Project (S202110542057 & S202210542031) and Scientific Research Project of Hunan Health Committee (202112031516).