Naps can make up for sleep loss

When it comes to sleep, eight hours is great, but 40 winks isn't so bad, either.

The Harvard Health Letter, in a new analysis of a 2011 Weill Cornell Medical College sleep study, says a daily nap can help older people make up for the reduction in sleep that often accompanies aging.

The Cornell study concluded that contrary to conventional wisdom, a nap doesn't adversely affect a person's sleep cycle. In fact, it adds needed restorative sleep to the daily total.

Harvard noted that older people typically need as much sleep as a younger person -- 71/2 to eight hours. But because it's normal for those older than 60 to awaken more times during the night, they often don't get the quota. A daily nap, Harvard concludes, can make a person feel more alert "and improve daytime function."