Long naps cause diabetes?

A large analysis presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual scientific meeting suggests that long naps may increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

After analyzing data from more than 300,000 people from 21 other studies, scientists concluded that people who nap for more than 60 minutes a day have higher levels of fatigue throughout the day and a 50% higher risk of diabetes than those who nap for less than an hour.

The combination of long naps and daytime fatigue also increased the risk of metabolic syndrome - a risk factor for heart disease - by 50%, such as a large waistline, high blood pressure and high triglyceride levels.

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But the study doesn’t show a cause-and-effect relationship, so the authors can’t be sure that long naps are actually the culprit in increasing your risk of these diseases. In fact, it’s possible that the need for long naps is a sign that something is wrong with your body. Feeling overly tired during the day could be due to undiagnosed sleep apnea.

This means you don’t get enough oxygen while you sleep, so you’re constantly waking up to get air. The result is disrupted, poor-quality sleep, with the brain’s sleep center releasing excess stress hormones like cortisol. Too much cortisol can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of metabolic disorders. Previous research has also shown that cortisol can also raise blood sugar levels, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

If you still feel tired after a long nap, see your doctor. Your doctor will evaluate your breathing disorder or recommend blood tests to look for causes of fatigue such as anemia.

Researchers also say it's difficult to say whether an occasional long nap is safer than a daily long nap.

It's best to keep naps under 30 minutes. In this study, shorter naps weren't linked to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome or diabetes, and waking up after less than 30 minutes of sleep made you tired.

According to SKDS