Experts identify the perfect sleep length time
Scientists say they have pinpointed the exact amount of sleep you should get each night.
According to a study published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care, the ideal sleep duration to reduce the risk of insulin resistance is 7 hours and 18 minutes per night.
Taking more or less than this may increase the chance of developing pre-diabetes, a major risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes.
Diabetes UK estimates that 4.6 million people in Britain alone have diabetes, with around 90 per cent diagnosed with type 2, which occurs when the body cannot use insulin properly to regulate blood sugar.
Researchers analyzed data from 10,817 adults ages 20 to 80 using health records from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2009 and 2023.
They assessed the participants’ insulin resistance using something called the estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), which is calculated from waist circumference, blood pressure and fasting blood sugar levels.
The results showed that the metabolically optimal time was seven hours and 18 minutes.
Experts say insufficient sleep can worsen the condition by disrupting appetite and hormones.
Naveed Sattar, professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, said: “Poor sleep often leads to poor appetite control, so people tend to eat more, and less sleep means more awake time to be able to eat.”
He explained that sleep deprivation also affects stress hormones, which affect sugar levels.
Alex Miras, professor of endocrinology at Ulster University, added: “Sleep deprivation has been known for years to be associated with high levels of body stress, meaning the body produces excess cortisol and other molecules that have a negative impact on glucose regulation.
“More specifically, it may increase the resistance of muscles to insulin, which may increase blood sugar.”
Interestingly, research also found that moderate weekend bedtimes may help.
For people who slept too little during the week, one to two hours of make-up sleep on weekends improved insulin sensitivity.
But sleeping more than two extra hours may actually increase the risk of diabetes again.
