Losing just 90 minutes of sleep a night can increase women’s risk of this chronic disease… after just six WEEKS

A study shows that losing just 90 minutes of sleep per night can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women.

Not closing the eyes enough has been found to increase insulin resistance in women – with the effects being most pronounced in those who have gone through menopause.

Experts believe that a lack of sleep can increase stress on insulin-producing cells, causing them to malfunction.

This can put women at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, where blood sugar levels are too high.

The findings are the first to show that mild sleep deprivation for just six weeks causes changes in the body that increase the risk of developing the condition.

Researchers wanted to focus on women because it has been suggested that poor sleep may have a greater impact on women’s cardiometabolic health than men’s.

Previous studies have shown that a short period of total or partial sleep deprivation impairs glucose metabolism.

But they don’t reflect the typical experience of mild sleep deprivation, which means getting by on about six hours of sleep for long periods.

Here, 38 healthy women were included, including 11 postmenopausal women, who routinely slept at least seven hours per night.

Using wearable devices, they were monitored for six weeks, getting adequate sleep, with their insulin, glucose and body fat all measured.

They were also asked to delay their bedtime by an hour and a half, reducing their total sleep time to about six hours over six weeks.

The study found that cutting back on sleep increased fasting insulin levels by more than 12 percent overall, and by more than 15 percent in premenopausal women.

Insulin resistance increased by almost 15 percent overall and by more than 20 percent among postmenopausal women, according to the findings published in Diabetes Care.

Study leader Marie-Pierre St-Onge, from Columbia University, said: ‘Throughout their lives, women face many changes in their sleep habits due to having children, raising children and menopause.

‘Over a longer period of time, continued stress on insulin-producing cells can cause them to fail, eventually leading to type 2 diabetes.

‘The fact that we saw these results independent of any changes in body fat, which is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes, speaks to the impact of mild sleep reduction on insulin-producing cells and metabolism.’

Further research is needed on whether restoring sleep can lead to improved glucose metabolism, she said, adding, “The bottom line is that getting enough sleep every night can lead to better blood sugar control.” and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, especially in postmenopausal women. .’