Can Cat Naps Cause Diabetes?

A new study of 19,567 Chinese subjects found that daily naps increased the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes from 13.5% (without naps) to 15.1% (with naps). In addition, there was some evidence that longer siestas raised the risk more than shorter snoozes.

According to the authors, napping in China is a social norm, which is practiced by all ages primarily as a habit started in childhood. In Western countries, napping is less common and is often unplanned and prompted by sleepiness likely caused by aging, deteriorating health status or nighttime complaints....The authors noted that the association between napping and diabetes was observed despite the fact that nappers had higher levels of physical activity, which has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes.

Lead author Neil Thomas, PhD, reader in epidemiology at the University of Birmingham, U.K., said that additional research is needed to determine if napping itself plays a causative role in the development of type 2 diabetes, or if other factors are involved.

You can read the study abstract here.