Skimping on Sleep Poses Diabetes Danger

The old wives have just been proven right again. They always claimed that if you wanted to stay healthy you needed to get a good night’s sleep. That was usually defined as about eight hours.

In our modern, fast-paced lives, many of us act as if this advice were a quaint relic of a bygone era. And with the downturn in the economy, money worries have many people tossing and turning. A recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that one in five Americans gets less than six hours of sleep a night. Only about one fourth of us follow grandmother’s advice to get at least eight hours of shuteye. Scientists are confirming, though, that ignoring the old wives’ wisdom may have negative consequences for our health.

Researchers at the University at Buffalo recently reported to a conference of the American Heart Association that people who habitually get less than six hours of sleep nightly are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The investigators measured fasting blood glucose levels in volunteers. The participants were queried about their work-week sleep habits. After six years, fasting blood glucose was measured again. Those who got less than six hours of sleep daily were more likely to have higher levels of blood sugar, a condition that can lead to diabetes.

This isn’t the first study suggesting that inadequate sleep might be linked to a higher risk of blood sugar problems. In 2005 researchers reported that either too little or too much sleep was associated with diabetes (Archives of Internal Medicine, Apr. 25, 2005).

Blood sugar control isn’t the only problem associated with sleep disturbances. Other research has shown that cardiovascular complications are more common when people don’t sleep well.

But wait, there’s more. The immune system also seems to be sensitive to sleep time. A recent study revealed that subjects who averaged less than 7 hours of sleep a night were roughly three times “more likely to develop a cold than those with 8 hours or more of sleep” (Archives of Internal Medicine, Jan. 12, 2009).

Other health hazards associated with too little sleep include depression, heart disease and weight gain. This may be part of a vicious cycle, since obesity can contribute to sleep apnea, which in turn contributes to insomnia and heart disease.

With so many people sleeping poorly, it is hardly any wonder that the pharmaceutical industry promotes pills for insomnia. Drugs like Ambien (zolpidem) and Lunesta (eszopiclone) are very popular, but they do have side effects.

To learn more about the pros and cons of sleeping pills and many non-drug approaches to overcoming insomnia, readers of this column may wish to review our new Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep.

Exercise during the day, a hot bath an hour before bedtime and dietary supplements such as melatonin or magnesium may help many people relax and get the sleep they need to stay healthy.