Napping increases risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease
In the United States, United Kingdom and Northern European countries we’re often told that the best way to improve our afternoon concentration and attention span in the Office, or at home, is by taking a nap after lunch - like the Siestas taken by the folks down in Mexico and the hot Southern European countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece.
Diabetes UK Charity – new study confirms link
However a new study from a United Kingdom charity – Diabetes UK – seems to indicate that having a regular nap, or even a single nap per week, could increase our risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by more than one fourth.
This serious disease is now reaching epidemic proportions and increasing rapidly in many western countries, and we’re especially concerned about it because it also poses a serious longer term threat to our heart health.
Serious complications – heart disease and stroke
Type 2 Diabetes is a condition that affects over 2 million British people, where the body is unable to properly regulate the levels of sugar in the blood, and the sufferer must take insulin medication tablets for the rest of their life. There is currently no cure for diabetes. If the condition is not managed carefully it can lead to a number of possible future medical complications such as coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, gangrene or blindness, so it is something we definitely want to avoid getting if at all possible.
Some scientists have cautioned that the apparent increased risk of developing diabetes amongst nap takers may just be linked to other lifestyle factors. For instance these people are possibly more likely to be physically inactive, and have more unhealthy lifestyles than the rest of the study participants.
But daytime napping may also cause disturbance to normal nocturnal sleeping patterns – a problem that is all too common amongst night time and shift workers. This lack of sleep can cause coronary heart disease and cancer, as well as an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, compared with those who adhere to normal sleeping patterns based on the natural environmental rhythms of night and day lighting conditions. It is believed that this is due to the trigger of hormonal and other body functions that inhibit and interfere with the normal production of insulin, which controls the body’s critical system of blood sugar regulation.
Obesity still far greater risk for Diabetes
The study was based on scientific data collected from more than 16,000 older Chinese volunteers, and also considered mitigating factors such as obesity. It compared those who never took a daytime nap, with those who took at least one period of daytime sleep per week. It’s results were presented by the Director of Research at Diabetes UK – Doctor Iain Frame, who cautioned that despite the increased risk discovered by this study, obesity and weight problems still represented by far, a more serious threat of developing Type 2 Diabetes.