Short, Long Sleep Duration Raises The Risk For Diabetes

The most common factors believed to contribute to diabetes are in a decrease in the amount of physical activity and access to highly processed foods palatable. However, there are more and more indications that another aspect of our modern way of life, short duration of sleep, is also a contribution to the diabetes epidemic. "

The study, by James E. Gangwisch, PhD, from Columbia University in New York, explores the relationship between sleep duration and the diagnosis of diabetes about one of eight to 10-year follow-up period between 1982 and 1992 among 8992 subjects participated, in the epidemiological follow-up Studies of the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The subjects' age of 32 to 86 years.

According to the results, subjects who reported insomnia five or fewer hours and subjects who reported insomnia nine or more hours were significantly more, complaining about the incident diabetes follow-up period, as volunteers , which reported seven hours sleep, even after taking into account the variables as physical activity, depression, alcohol consumption, ethnicity, education, marital status, age, obesity and hypertension in history.

The effect of short-term sleep on diabetes incidence is likely related in part to the influence of short-term sleep on body weight and high blood pressure, said Dr. Gangwisch. Experimental studies have shown that sleep deprivation to reduce glucose tolerance and compromise insulin sensitivity by increasing sympathetic nervous system activity, the increase in the evening cortisol and decreasing cerebral glucose utilization. The increasing burden on the pancreas of insulin resistance can, over time, compromise β - cell function and leads to type two diabetes, warned Dr. Gangwisch.

"If short sleep duration functions to increase insulin resistance and reduce glucose tolerance, then interventions, the amount and improving the quality of sleep could possibly as a primary treatment and preventive measures for diabetes" said Dr. Gangwisch.


It is not known how long sleep duration of diabetes, although increased time in bed to compensate for poor sleep quality is a possible explanation, said Dr. Gangwisch.

Recent estimates show that at least 171 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, and that by the year 2030, this number is projected to double.

Lawrence Epstein, MD, medical director of the Sleep Health Center, an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, a past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), and a member of the AASM Board of Directors, said that this study is one of several large studies have shown that people who do not get enough, sleep higher diabetes.

"The restriction on four hours of sleep per night for only a few days causes abnormal glucose metabolism, which is on the mechanism for the increase in diabetes in sleep deprived individuals," says Dr. Epstein. "In addition, sleep disorders, sleep disturbance, such as obstructive sleep apnea, including the likelihood of developing diabetes. Treatment of sleep disorders improved glucose metabolism and diabetes. These studies underscore the fact that sleep is integral to good health."


On average, most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night to feel alert and well rested. Young people should sleep about nine hours per night, in the school-children aged between 10-11 hours per night and children in preschool and between 11-13 hours per night.

The AASM offers the following tips on how to get a good sleep:

-effects of a consistent bedtime routine.
- creation of a relaxed setting before bedtime.
- Get a complete sleep every night.
- Avoid food or drinks, caffeine, and all the medicines, a stimulant before bedtime.
- not go to bed hungry, but do not eat a large meal before bedtime either.
- Avoid any rigorous exercise within six hours of your bedtime
-Make your bedroom quiet, dark and a little cool.
- Get in the same time every morning.

, SLEEP is the official journal of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC, a joint venture of the AASM and the Sleep Research Society.

SleepEducation.com, a patient education site created by the AASM, provides information about the various sleep disorders, the forms of treatment available, recent news on the subject of sleep, sleep disorders study, which has been carried out and a list of sleep.

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