As scientific evidence increasingly links sleep deprivation to serious health issues, a recent study has identified the "ideal" sleep duration to help reduce the risk of insulin resistance—a condition closely associated with an increased likelihood of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
اضافة اعلان
According to a report by The Independent, researchers found that a specific amount of sleep is optimal for metabolic health. Sleeping significantly less or more than this duration is linked to a higher risk of prediabetes.
The "Magic Number": 7 Hours and 18 Minutes
A study published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care revealed that sleeping approximately 7 hours and 18 minutes each night may be the optimal duration for maintaining the body's insulin sensitivity.
Why Does Sleep Affect Blood Sugar?
Experts highlighted two primary ways sleep impacts diabetes risk:
Appetite Control: Naveed Sattar, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, explained that lack of sleep weakens appetite control, leading people to eat more. Furthermore, staying awake longer provides more "windows" for eating.
Hormonal Stress: Alex Miras, Professor of Endocrinology at Ulster University, noted that sleep deprivation increases body stress and cortisol production. This can lead to muscle insulin resistance, making it harder for the body to regulate glucose levels.
The Study Findings
Researchers in China analyzed data from 10,817 participants (aged 20–80) from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009–2023). They focused on the Estimated Glucose Disposal Rate (eGDR), a key metric for insulin resistance.
Key results included:
The Sweet Spot: The best insulin resistance indicators were found in those sleeping approximately 7 hours and 18 minutes.
Weekend Catch-up: For those who undersleep during the work week, getting 1 to 2 hours of extra sleep on weekends (catch-up sleep) was associated with a lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes compared to those who did not catch up.
The Risk of Extremes: Both short sleep (deprivation) and excessively long sleep were linked to less favorable insulin resistance outcomes.
