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

Losing just 90 minutes of sleep a night may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women, according to a study.

Not getting enough sleep was found to increase insulin resistance in women, with effects most marked in those who have gone through menopause.

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

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

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

The 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 brief period of total or partial sleep deprivation alters 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 of time.

Here, 38 healthy women were enrolled, including 11 postmenopausal women, who typically slept at least seven hours each night.

Using wearable devices, they were monitored for six weeks during which they got enough sleep and their insulin, glucose and body fat were measured.

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

The study found that reducing sleep increased fasting insulin levels by more than 12 percent overall and by more than 15 percent among premenopausal women.

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

Study leader Marie-Pierre St-Onge of Columbia University said: “Throughout their lives, women face many changes in their sleep habits due to motherhood, parenting and menopause.

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

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

More research is needed on whether restoring sleep can lead to better glucose metabolism, he said, adding: “The bottom line is that getting enough sleep each night can lead to better blood sugar control and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, especially among postmenopausal women. .’