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Home arrow Other arrow Other health conditions arrow Poor Sleep Habits Leads to Poor Blood Sugar Control
Poor Sleep Habits Leads to Poor Blood Sugar Control

Despite continued reports that not getting enough sleep can decrease your energy and sabotage sexual performance, it is no secret that most of us do not get the 8 hours recommended each night. If you need another reason to try to catch those zzzzz’s , a recent study from the Netherlands concluded that poor sleep habits interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates and decrease insulin sensitivity. A 19 to 25 percent decrease in insulin sensitivity was found following 4 hours of sleep as compared to 8 hours of sleep. Another study found that chronic sleep deprivation may increase the risk of developing insulin insensitivity by 450 percent.


This is important because decreased insulin sensitivity is thought to be a major cause of type 2 diabetes. Insulin is necessary to metabolize the carbohydrates in a meal. However, when the body’s tissues become desensitized to insulin the body has a harder time using insulin and carbohydrates present in the body. This causes blood sugar levels to rise which can lead to type 2 diabetes and cause damage to major organs like the kidneys, heart and eyes over time.


For people who already have type 2 diabetes, it makes sense that getting enough sleep may help better control blood sugar. For those without diabetes, getting enough sleep each night may still help improve insulin sensitivity and lead to a healthier you.

Dr. Larson is a pharmacist, author of Empowered Medicine; A Guide for Consumers and creator of Empowered Medicine. You can read more about her by visiting www.EmpoweredMedicine.com and clicking on the 'About Us' tab.  EmpoweredMedicine.com is committed to providing evidence-based medical information from a pharmacist's point of view