Sleeping for just 3 to 5 hours daily may increase Type 2 diabetes risk: Study

New Delhi, March 6 

People who sleep for only three to five hours daily may be at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a study.

The research, published in journal JAMA Network Open, also shows that chronic sleep deprivation cannot be compensated by healthy eating alone.

“I generally recommend prioritising sleep, although I understand it is not always possible, especially as a parent of four teenagers,” said Christian Benedict, associate professor at Uppsala University and lead researcher behind the study.

The team examined the link between Type 2 diabetes and sleep deprivation. Type 2 diabetes affects the body’s ability to process sugar (glucose), hindering insulin absorption and resulting in high blood sugar levels.

A 2020 study showed that over 462 million people suffer from this disease. Over time, it can cause serious damage, particularly to nerves and blood vessels, and thus represents an escalating public health problem globally.

“Previous research has shown that repeated short daily rest increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, while healthy dietary habits such as regularly eating fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk,” said Diana Noga, a sleep researcher from Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences of Uppsala University.

“However, it has remained unclear whether people who sleep too little can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by eating healthily,” Noga said in a statement.

The researchers used data from one of the largest population databases in the world, the UK Biobank, in which nearly half a million participants from the UK have been genetically mapped and responded to questions on health and lifestyle.

They followed the participants for over 10 years and found that a sleep duration of between three and five hours was linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In contrast, healthy eating habits led to a lower risk of developing the disease, but even people who ate healthily but slept less than six hours a day were still at higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.

“Our results are the first to question whether a healthy diet can compensate for lack of sleep in terms of the risk of Type 2 diabetes. They should not cause concern, but instead be seen as a reminder that sleep plays an important role in health,” Benedict added.