Insufficient Sleep Increases Diabetes Risk in Women
Chronic sleep deprivation heightens insulin resistance, particularly in postmenopausal women, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
- Insufficient sleep raises insulin resistance in women, especially postmenopausal women, potentially increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Chronic insufficient sleep can increase insulin resistance in otherwise healthy women.
- Restricting sleep to 6.2 hours or less per night over six weeks increased insulin resistance by 14.8% among both pre- and postmenopausal women, with more severe effects for postmenopausal women – as high as 20.1%.
- Once the women started sleeping their typical 7-9 hours per night again, the insulin and glucose levels returned to normal.
- Researchers are planning additional studies to further understand how sleep deficiency affects metabolism in men and women, as well as explore sleep interventions as a tool in type 2 diabetes prevention efforts.
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