We all know that getting great sleep is very important for our health. Some of us know it by experience, while others of us know it in our head and are trying to make great sleep a reality. So, if you don’t get great sleep at night, should you supplement it with a nap in the daytime? Here’s my summary of a review of a bunch of sleep and nap studies related to diabetes.
In the journal Diabetes and Endocrinology Dr. Hongyu Sun’s research team reported their review and analysis of 40 research studies on napping and diabetes. Most prior research didn’t really separate out effects of short versus long naps. So, this analysis was a bit unique.
They found that overall, napping was associated with an 20 percent increased risk of getting diagnosed with diabetes. But when they separated the findings in more detail, this is what they found:
(1) Short naps, less than 30 minutes, were not related to diabetes risk. (Three cheers for the power nap!)
(2) Naps between 30 and 60 minutes led to a slightly higher risk, about 9% higher.
(3) Long naps, greater than 60 minutes during the day, led to a 31% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. (Uh-oh)
(4) Napping, if you have T2D, led to significantly poorer blood sugar control, compared to people who didn’t take naps.
So, a short power nap might be a great thing, as it can improve your mental performance as well. But getting a long snooze in the middle of the day might be very disruptive, make you more sedentary, and might be a sign of poor health. Or you are way behind in your sleep.
To me, it isn’t clear if the nap is the cause, or the effect. Long naps are associated with higher risk of diabetes and of poor glycemic control. At the root of it might just be bad sleep habits overall. Or it really might mean that your cellular energy level is really low and you need to upgrade your lifestyle to get more energy.
The Main Takeaway
So, if you need more than a short nap in the day, pay attention. The answer is not to get a longer nap in the day, but to really work on your sleep hygiene and get better sleep at night. Cool, dark and quiet seems to be what people call for to sleep better. Winding down at night before heading to bed is great, too.
