- Researchers are reporting that reducing sleep to just 6 hours for six weeks increased insulin resistance in otherwise healthy women.
- They noted that the impact of insufficient sleep was particularly pronounced among postmenopausal women.
- Experts say adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health.
Chronic insufficient sleep may increase insulin resistance in women who are otherwise healthy.
Research published today in the journal Diabetes Care reports that reducing sleep by 90 minutes for a 6-week period increased insulin resistance in otherwise healthy women who are accustomed to adequate levels of sleep.
“What we’re seeing is that more insulin is needed to normalize glucose levels in the women under conditions of sleep restriction, and even then, the insulin may not have been doing enough to counteract rising blood glucose levels of postmenopausal women,” Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, an author of the study and an associate professor of nutritional medicine and director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research at Columbia University in New York, said in a
“If that’s sustained over time, it is possible that prolonged insufficient sleep among individuals with prediabetes could accelerate the progression to type 2 diabetes,” she added.
The researchers noted that their study is the first to demonstrate that even a mild sleep deficit maintained for six weeks can cause changes within the body that increase the risk of diabetes.
The researchers said they focused on women as past studies suggest that poor sleep has a greater impact on the cardiometabolic health of women over men.
“Throughout their lifespan, women face many changes in their sleep habits due to childbearing, child-rearing, and menopause. And more women than men have the perception they aren’t getting enough sleep,” St-Onge said.
As part of the study, the researchers enlisted 38 healthy women, 11 of whom were postmenopausal. The women…
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