Researchers from New England found that men who slept either less than 6 hours, or greater than 8 hours, increased their risk for type 2 diabetes. That risk remained after adjustments were made for age, hypertension, smoking status, self-rated health status, education, and waist circumference.These results suggest that even though you have a handle on your weight, blood pressure and smoking, you may still court a diagnosis of diabetes if your sleep is consistently short-changed, or over-indulged.
The study included 1564, primarily white men, aged 40 to 70, who were enrolled in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS), and who did not have diabetes at baseline. The men were followed for up to 15 years. Similar, although less marked results were found in women who partook in the Nurses Health Study.
The study appears in the March 2006 issue of Diabetes Care.
For the MMAS study:
Sleep Duration as a Risk Factor for the Development of Type 2 Diabetes
For a summary of the MMAS study:
Diabetes Risk Raised By Too Much Or Too Little Sleep
For the Nurses Health Study:
A Prospective Study of Self-Reported Sleep Duration and Incident Diabetes in Women
