Getting enough sleep is tough, even more so when you reach your 50’s and beyond. But neglecting your daily dose of zzz’s is a known health hazard.
Now there’s another reason why skimping on sleep could hurt you.
According to new research from Japan, missing out on as little as 6 hours of sleep could raise your risk of type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.
That’s about the equivalent of missing a day of sleep.
How it Harms You
As you may (or may not know), sleep is the body’s way of rebooting your physical and mental health, so to speak.
When you enter deep sleep, otherwise known as REM sleep, it recharges your brain, renewing energy levels, focus, and helping keep your immune system high.
But if you don’t go through this process, it throws your brain’s hormones out of whack, leading to health problems.
This is one such instance.
In the study, researchers deprived mouse models of sleep, which are physiologically similar to humans. Every time they tried to fall asleep, the researchers nudged them awake. This continued on for 6 hours..
Immediately the experiment, they measured their blood glucose. The result? In just 6 hours this reading changed significantly, putting them at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Bottom line?
You need sleep–and it needs to be consistent.
To keep your sleep schedule on track, avoiding stimulants (such as caffeine) and sources of light pollution (such as night lights) are essential for getting those nighttime zzz’s.
