Does better sleep, help prevent type 2 diabetes?
This is an excellent question
and we discovered that it does.
Many studies have shown that lack of sleep is bad for health
and associated with type 2 diabetes.
However, no study to date has tried to increase sleep
and determine if it can improve insulin sensitivity.
To answer this question, we conducted a randomized trial
with 43 adolescents with obesity
and risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
They had to increase their sleep duration by 1.5 hours per day,
per week, and we compared that to their habitual sleep.
Sleep was measured objectively
with a device worn on the wrist,
and insulin sensitivity was measured in the blood at the end
of each sleep week.
What we found. We were able to increase sleep duration
by one hour per day
and insulin sensitivity improved by 20%, which is fantastic,
and that was independent of food intake
and physical activity levels.
So what are the implications?
Clinicians should encourage adolescents at risk
of type 2 diabetes to improve their sleep
because even a modest increase in sleep duration
of only one hour per night can have a positive impact on
insulin sensitivity in this population.