Carlos Solis
The authors of a new study from Nantong University in China said that sleeping 7 hours and 18 minutes per night may be optimal for preventing the development of insulin resistance.
The team found just how harmful sleep deprivation can be, and that catching up on sleep on weekends can be no less risky than chronic insomnia — though that risk doesn’t apply to everyone.
Why your nighttime sleep matters for metabolic health
In their paper, the scientists took into account previous studies showing that sleep duration is closely linked to the risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.
The researchers analyzed data on 23,475 adult U.S. residents aged 20 to 80 who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2023. All participants reported the number of hours they slept each day, and all had their blood sugar measured regularly. In addition, 10,817 of them provided information about their weekend sleep duration.
The study found that the optimal amount of nighttime sleep may be 7 hours and 18 minutes. For people who were sleep-deprived during the week, catching up on sleep on weekends proved beneficial, the Daily Mail reported.
The study authors said that an additional couple of hours of sleep benefits people who don’t get enough sleep on weekdays.
However, people who sleep more than the recommended amount during the week and then also catch up on sleep on weekends may face an increased risk of impaired glucose metabolism.
In their study, the scientists used the estimated glucose disposal rate, a marker of insulin resistance — a condition in which blood sugar levels rise. That condition is a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
Lack of sleep increases inflammation, raises levels of stress hormones, and can worsen blood-sugar control. The scientists also found that poor blood sugar control can lead to poor sleep.
In their report, the team concluded that 7 to 8 hours of nighttime sleep can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
The results were published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.
Photo: Openverse
