Afternoon naps may cause diabetes

Research has shown that of 16,480 people who nap regularly had a 26 per cent greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes than people who do not nap.

There may be several reasons behind the link between napping and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is possible, for example, that there may be a connection between napping and being less active. It is also possible that there is a link between napping and disruptions of night-time sleep. Another reason for the increased risk could be that waking up results in the activation of hormones and mechanisms in the body that prevent insulin from working effectively. Director of research at Diabetes UK, Dr Iain Frame, said: "We already know that people who are overweight or obese, and therefore more at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, can have problems sleeping. "This new research could be another step towards explaining the possible link between disturbed sleep patterns and Type 2 diabetes." "However, in terms of being major risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes, disturbed sleep or napping are likely to remain less significant than already established risk factors such as being overweight, being over the age of 40 or having a history of diabetes in the family." The BBC reports that this research was done by scientists from Guangzhou Hospital in China and the University of Birmingham. It will be presented at the annual conference of Diabetes UK in the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow from 11 to 13 March 2009.