The problem of sleep deprivation is widespread around the world. A recent study showed that only 15% of people manage to get seven to nine hours of sleep at least five times a week. Lack of sleep has a negative impact on physical and psychological well-being and impairs thinking ability. A new research paper has shown that people who sleep three to five hours a night are more susceptible to type 2 diabetes than those with better sleep schedules.
Researchers from Sweden’s Uppsala University studied more than 10 years of data from the British Biobank (one of the largest demographic databases in the world). The database contained information on almost half a million people, namely their genetic characteristics, health status and lifestyle.
Scientists have found a link between sleeping less than six hours and a high risk of type 2 diabetes. According to them, this could be due to various consequences of sleep deprivation. For example, sleep deprivation impairs cell sensitivity to insulin, shifts the energy metabolism of skeletal muscles towards non-glucose oxidation, increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and changes the composition of the intestinal microbiota.
