Regular daytime naps could be good for brain health, new research suggests. Daytime napping could slow the rate at which brains shrink as we age, the study led by researchers at UCL and the University of the Republic in Uruguay found. The researchers hope their findings into the health benefits of sleeping during the day will reduce any stigma that still exists around daytime napping. The study suggests the average difference in brain volume between people programmed to be habitual nappers and those who were not was equivalent to 2.6 to 6.5 years of ageing. Our findings suggest that, for some people, short daytime naps may be a part of the puzzle that could help preserve the health of the brain as we get older Dr Victoria Garfield, UCL Senior author Dr Victoria Garfield, MRC Unit for Lifelong Health & Ageing at UCL, said: “Our findings suggest that, for some people, short daytime naps may be a part of the puzzle that could help preserve the health of the brain as we get older.” The study, published in the journal Sleep Health, analysed data from people aged 40 to 69. Past research has suggested people who have had a short nap perform better in cognitive tests in the hours afterwards than those who did not nap. The new study looked at whether there was a causal relationship between daytime napping and brain health. Researchers looked at 97 snippets of DNA thought to determine people’s likelihood of habitual napping. They compared measures of brain health and cognition of people who are more genetically programmed to nap with people who did not have these changes in DNA, using data from 378,932 people from the UK Biobank study. They found that, overall, people predetermined to nap had a larger total brain volume. The genetic variants – DNA changes – influencing the likelihood of someone to nap were identified in an earlier study looking at data from 452,633 UK Biobank participants. But the researchers did not find a difference in how well those programmed to be habitual nappers performed on three other measures of brain health and cognitive function. Lead author and PhD candidate Valentina Paz, University of the Republic (Uruguay) and MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, said: “This is the first study to attempt to untangle the causal relationship between habitual daytime napping and cognitive and structural brain outcomes. “By looking at genes set at birth, Mendelian randomisation avoids confounding factors occurring throughout life that may influence associations between napping and health outcomes. “Our study points to a causal link between habitual napping and larger total brain volume.” Dr Garfield added: “I hope studies such as this one showing the health benefits of short naps can help to reduce any stigma that still exists around daytime napping.” Read More Dramatic rise in the number of women freezing their eggs Paramedics who found ‘poisoned’ couple dead in Mexico hotel room also fell ill Bruce Willis’ family honours him with first Father’s Day tributes since announcing his dementia diagnosis Richard Ford on Frank Bascombe, getting older and literary feuds: ‘At my age I can’t get into fistfights’ Families’ ‘disappointment’ as Croydon tram disaster driver cleared

The Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation into the protracted shortages of baby formula in the United States that left store shelves bare of the essential product for several months and created widespread anxiety among parents and caregivers.

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For the bride-to-be who’s all about bucking tradition, the great news is that there are myriad wedding dress (and pant!) options that defy the whole tulle-and-lace (ahem, virginal) white look that we’re all so accustomed to in the western world. To be a nontraditional bride means that the wedding dress world becomes your oyster — and without any real boundaries or parameters on what you’re limited to wearing, it can be an overwhelming task to select a non-traditional wedding dress that’s right for you.

Irish police found Woody lying, exhausted, across a pavement in County Tipperary last year.

This week, a Truman Capote story from early in his career will be published for the first time

Logan Sargeant has earned his first Formula 1 point following the shock disqualification of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from the United States Grand Prix. Mercedes driver Hamilton and Ferrari’s Leclerc, who finished second and sixth at the Circuit of the Americas, were being investigated by the stewards following a plank wear inspection in Austin. More than three hours after the race finished, the stewards announced that the pair had been disqualified – and thus everybody else moved up the order. Williams driver Sargeant finished the race 12th but having moved up to 10th receives his first point of the season in bizarre circumstances at his home race. Sargeant thus becomes the first American driver to score a point in F1 in 30 years. The FIA note reveals that the cars of Verstappen and Lando Norris (who now moves up to second from third in the final classification) were also inspected, but passed the checks. The final stewards report said: “During the hearing, the team acknowledged that the measurement performed by the FIA Technical Team was correct and stated that the high wear on the skid pads was probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule that minimized the time to set up and check the car before the race. NEW TOP-10 FOR THE UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lando Norris 3. Carlos Sainz 4. Sergio Perez 5. George Russell 6. Pierre Gasly 7. Lance Stroll 8. Yuki Tsunoda 9. Alex Albon 10. Logan Sargeant “The Stewards note that the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event. “In this particular case, the rear skid in the area defined in the Technical Delegate’s report was outside of the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which includes a tolerance for wear. “Therefore, the standard penalty for a breach of the Technical Regulations is imposed.” Read More Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified from United States GP Lando Norris reflects on 2023 win prospects after another near-miss in Austin Lewis Hamilton rues Mercedes error which cost him victory at US Grand Prix

As it is the month of August, it's no surprise that Taylor Swift's song August is a currently trending, as people on TikTok have been using the music in videos to channel their main character energy. But a new spin on the trend has seen people's pets take center stage as they are dramatically spun around as Swift sings in the song: "Back when we were still changin' for the better / Wanting was enough / For me, it was enough / To live for the hope of it all..." From dogs, cats, to a hamster, a goat, even a racoon and a hedgehog are some examples of the animals being spun around as part of the trend, with many looking bewildered at their owner's actions. Here are some viral examples that have racked up millions of views: @.naaaat HIS ARMS REACHING OUT I CANNOT @shaneequah_ safe to say indie loved it #fyp#lambs#petspinningchallange @lizzie3427 He tried to kill me after this #fyp #taylorswift #racoon #august #spintrend @sabz.i i don’t think i did this right @emmacchristie Sorry tilly While the owners may be having fun making these TikToks with their pets, animal charity Cats Protection warned that doing this action is not in the best interests for the welfare of pets. "At no point should an animal deliberately be put in a position to feel fear, anxiety, frustration or experience pain for the benefit of human entertainment," Central Behaviour Officer Daniel Warren-Cummings told Metro. "Cats in particular will experience extreme stress by being swung or spun around and it could even cause them physical harm." "In the videos highlighted, the cats are showing clear signs of distress. Even more disappointingly, these are being described as cute or funny in the comments section by people who appear to count themselves as cat lovers. Warren-Cummings added: "It’s clear from the language that the owners don’t understand that animals don’t feel and behave the same way humans do and this undercuts the distress that the cats are experiencing.’ He also noted that even if the actions in the video are brief, it is still "unethical and should not be encouraged.’ Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

So much of fashion right now feels disappointing. After years filled with promising pushes for progress — from body positivity to racial justice and wider representation — the post-lockdown industry has failed to demonstrate any real change. There’s been a notable lack of plus-size representation in recent seasons, while major luxury houses continue to be led by white men.

Heat is your phone's worst enemy. Modern smartphones house powerful processors and large-capacity batteries inside