Can not getting enough sleep increase your risk of type 2 diabetes?

Not getting enough sleep is a common problem for modern people. If you can't close your eyes as often as you would like, you were probably worried about the news of the accident. recent research The results showed that people who slept less than 6 hours were at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

So what do these findings tell us? The relationship between sleep and diabetes turns out to be complex.

the study

Researchers analyzed data from. UK Biobank, a large biomedical database that serves as a global resource for health and medical research. Researchers looked at information from 247,867 adults and tracked their health over 10 years.

Researchers wanted to understand the link between sleep duration and type 2 diabetes, and whether a healthy diet could reduce the impact of short sleep on diabetes risk.

As part of their participation in the UK Biobank, participants were asked approximately how much sleep they got in a 24-hour period. On average, he slept 7-8 hours, which was considered normal. Short sleep duration was classified into three categories: light (6 hours), moderate (5 hours), and extreme (3–4 hours). Researchers analyzed sleep data along with information about people's diet.

Approximately 3.2% of participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the follow-up period. Healthy eating habits were associated with a lower overall risk of diabetes, but even with a healthy diet, those who slept less than 6 hours a day had a lower risk of diabetes compared to those in the normal sleep category. increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Researchers found that people who slept 5 hours a night were associated with a 16% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while those who slept 3-4 hours a day compared to people who slept 7-8 hours a day. They found that people had a 41% higher risk.

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One limitation is that the study defined a healthy diet based on a person's daily or weekly intake of fruits, vegetables, red meat, and fish. The study did not take into account how dietary patterns such as time-restricted eating and the Mediterranean diet may alter diabetes risk in people who sleep poorly.

Additionally, information on participants' sleep quantity and diet was only collected at the time of recruitment and may have changed over the course of the study. The authors acknowledge these limitations.

Why does short sleep increase the risk of diabetes?

among people with type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to the effects of a hormone called insulin and gradually loses the ability to produce sufficient amounts of the hormone in the pancreas. Insulin is important because it regulates glucose (sugar) in the blood, which we get from the food we eat, by helping it move to cells throughout the body.

We don't know exactly why people who sleep less may be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes.but Previous research It has been shown that sleep deprivation often increases the number of people who are sleep deprived. inflammatory markers and free fatty acids in their blood impairs insulin sensitivityleads to insulin resistance. This means your body has a harder time using insulin properly to regulate blood sugar levels, resulting in an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, people who don't get enough sleep or who sleep in irregular patterns (such as shift workers) experience disruptions to their body's natural rhythms, known as “sleep disorders.” circadian rhythm.

This can prevent the release of hormones such as: cortisol, glucagon, growth hormone. These hormones are released throughout the day to meet the body's changing energy needs and usually keep blood sugar levels properly balanced. When these are impaired, the body's ability to process glucose can decrease as the day progresses.

These factors and othersmay contribute to the increased risk of type 2 diabetes found in people who sleep less than 6 hours.

Although this study primarily focused on people who sleep eight hours or less, people who sleep longer may also face an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Studies have previously shown a U-shaped correlation between sleep duration and type 2 diabetes risk.a review Multiple studies have found that getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each day has the lowest risk. The risk began to increase when he slept less than 7 hours or more than 8 hours.

The reason why longer sleep is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes may be related to: weight gain, which also correlates with longer sleep. Similarly, people who don't get enough sleep are also more likely. overweight or obese.

good sleep, healthy eating

Getting enough sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Based on this study and other evidence, it appears that seven to eight hours of sleep may be optimal when it comes to diabetes risk. However, other factors, such as individual differences in sleep quality and lifestyle, may influence the relationship between sleep duration and diabetes risk.

Although the results of this study cast doubt on whether a healthy diet can reduce the effect of sleep deprivation on diabetes risk, a wide range of evidence points to the benefits of sleep deprivation. healthy eating For overall health.

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of study author Recognizing that getting enough sleep is not always possible, we suggest you do the following: high intensity interval exercise Short periods of sleep during the day may offset some of the potential effect on diabetes risk.

Actually, exercise at any intensity It can improve blood sugar levels.