Did you know that the lack of sleep (4 or 5 hours of sleep a night) in the short term can elevate your risk of developing diabetes by approximately 16%? The good news is this can be reversible!

 

According to a study conducted at the University of Chicago sleep laboratory, spending two long nights catching up on sleep can counteract the elevated risk of diabetes related to sleep loss.

 

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  • This study involved 19 healthy young men. After spending only an average of 4.3 hours sleeping per night (for four consecutive nights), the subjects’ insulin sensitivity dropped by 23% and their diabetes risk was raised by 16%.

 

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  • However, after they subsequently slept for 9.7 hours on average for two nights, their insulin sensitivity and the risk of diabetes normalised.

 

So What Should You Do?

 

This study only evaluated how weekend catch-up sleep may reverse the effects of a short-term sleep deprivation. It’s still best for you to ensure that you have sufficient sleep every night.