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A chronic lack of sleep may cause far more serious problems than
a tendency to nod off the next day. People who do not get enough
sleep on a regular basis may become less
sensitive to insulin which, over time, can raise the
risk of
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obesity
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high blood pressure
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diabetes
In fact, Dr. Eve Van Cauter at the University of Chicago found
that chronic sleep deprivation -- 6.5
hours or less of sleep a night -- had the same effect
on insulin resistance as aging.
Just like poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, chronic stress and
aging, sleep loss is a risk factor (for
type 2 diabetes).
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body loses its ability to respond
to insulin, the body's key blood sugar-regulating hormone. This
insulin resistance causes blood sugar levels to rise, which in
turn can increase the risk for a number of serious medical complications
including kidney damage, heart disease, blindness and lower limb
amputations.
According to the study healthy adults who averaged 316 minutes
of sleep a night -- about 5.2 hours -- over 8 consecutive nights
secreted 50% more insulin than their more rested counterparts
who averaged 477 minutes of sleep a night, or about 8 hours.
As a result, "short sleepers''
were 40% less sensitive to insulin.
The researchers suggest that sleep deprivation, which is becoming
commonplace in industrialized countries, may play a role in the
current epidemic of type 2 diabetes. A poll by the National Sleep
Foundation found a steady decline in the number of hours Americans
sleep each night. In 1975, the average American slept 7.5 hours,
down from 9 hours in 1910. Today, adults sleep about 7 hours a
night.
American Diabetes Association's
Annual Meeting June 25, 2001 Philadelphia
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