Napping Linked to Deadly Disease
By
Natalie Moore
Posted September 20, 2016
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
Have you ever woken up from a long afternoon nap and found yourself confused, grumpy and feeling even more exhausted than you did before your slumber? But you wake from short naps feeling refreshed and recharged?
There’s a good reason for this.
It’s called sleep inertia. We will reveal how it (and another common sleep issue) might be ruining your health in just a bit.
And according to some groundbreaking new research, being grumpy and groggy should be the least of your worries if you’re indulging in lengthy daytime naps.
You see, this habit can increase your chances of developing a debilitating and often deadly condition by a whopping 45 percent.
Dangerous Naps
After studying the health data of more than 300,000 people, a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo finds that folk who enjoy a daytime snooze longer than one hour each day are 45 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.
While it’s still unclear whether extended daytime sleeps are a symptom or cause of this dangerous disease, one thing is certain — the link totally disappears with when naps are less than 40 minutes.
Dr. Yamada Tomahide, lead researcher for the analysis, reports that one reason for this is “A short nap finishes before the onset of deep slow-wave sleep. Entering deep slow-wave sleep and then failing to complete the normal sleep cycle can result in a phenomenon known as sleep inertia, in which a person feels groggy, disoriented and even sleepier than before napping.”
In addition, Tomahide and the team hypothesize that shorter naps may help reset abnormal sleep cycles and help improve a host of abnormal body functions caused by sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation is linked to many health issues including increased stress hormone secretion, inflammation, increased appetite and improper carbohydrate metabolism.
Because of these factors, the scientists believe the findings could also be a “reverse causality,” meaning that folks who take long daytime naps could likely be more ill and experience other risk factors for diabetes.
Clinical trials will be needed to determine the exact cause of the link.
Professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow Naveed Sattar reports:
This observational study shows an association between longer naps and diabetes. It’s likely that risk factors which lead to diabetes also cause napping… That said, there is now abundant evidence of a link of sorts between sleep disturbances and diabetes. What we need are trials to determine if… how long one sleeps makes a difference to real health outcomes.
In the meantime, try to keep your daytime snoozes under 40 minutes.
Live well,
Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily
Sources
[1]
Taking long afternoon naps may increase risk of diabetes, study shows
[2] Long daytime naps are ‘warning sign’ for type-2 diabetes
Written By Natalie Moore
Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.
View More Free Articles
This Sleep Mistake Is Doubling Your Disease Risk
Think your inconsistent bedtime is just a harmless habit? Think again. New research reveals that going to bed at different times each night isn’t just making you tired—it could be dramatically increasing your risk of serious diseases. But the key to making sure poor sleep doesn’t derail your health goals likely isn’t what you think…....
Stop Obsessing Over Diet Trends
Can we stop with the endless diet debates already? Every other week there’s a new headline shouting about which diet is best for weight loss, heart health, or diabetes. Paleo, keto, low-carb, high-protein… it’s exhausting. And now, a new meta-analysis is out comparing the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and something called AHEI (that’s “Alternative...
A New Reason to Ditch Processed Junk
If you’ve ever walked the inside aisles of your local grocery store and thought, “This is all just junk,” your instincts were spot on. A new study published in the journal Thorax just added another red flag to the list of dangers linked to ultra-processed food—a 41 percent higher risk of lung cancer. That’s right....
When Being Winded on Stairs Is Serious (And When It Isn’t)
I had an athlete visit me recently because he experienced shortness of breath while climbing stairs. He is in great shape, so he was worried about what it might mean. “Doc,” he said, “I run five miles three times a week. Why am I huffing and puffing after two flights of stairs?” His concern is...
Study EXPOSES Hidden Danger Lurking in Your Car
We think of our homes and cars as safe havens. But according to a startling new study, they may be flooding your lungs with microscopic plastic particles—every single day. Researchers in France recently found that adults inhale an average of 68,000 microplastic particles daily from indoor air alone. To put that in perspective, that’s about...
Mailbag: Is Modern Food Making You Snore?
“What can cause snoring, and is there a way to correct this issue?” —Seeking Silence Hi Seeking, Snoring happens when the soft tissues in your throat relax and vibrate as air passes through during sleep. While several factors can cause snoring—from sleep position to nasal congestion—I want to share one trigger that might surprise you....
Simple Food Swap SLASHES Dementia Risk 28%
Let’s be honest… who would jump at the chance to cut their dementia risk by 28 percent. And no, you don’t need to run marathons, survive on broccoli, or learn to play the zither (whatever that is) to make it happen. All it takes is one easy swap—something that’s probably already in your refrigerator. Researchers...
This SMART Floss Exposes Hidden Health Danger
Scientists have created dental floss that doesn’t just clean between your teeth—it also tracks your stress while you’re flossing. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Great—now even flossing is going to stress me out by telling me how stressed I am.” But this fascinating new tool from Tufts University could be a game-changer for understanding...
Is This "Safe" Sweetener Damaging Your Brain?
The headlines are alarming… “Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage” and “Erythritol Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier” are just two of the dozens I’ve spotted recently. But before you toss every sugar-free product in your pantry, let’s take a closer look at what this study actually shows—and what it doesn’t. The latest research...
This Summer Threat Could SPIKE Your Blood Sugar
Picture this… It’s another scorching hot summer day. You crank up the air conditioning while watching the weather forecast, which predicts yet another “record-breaking” heat wave. It’s starting to feel like just another miserably uncomfortable summer. But what you might not realize is that—if you have diabetes—those rising temps could do far more damage to...