Poor sleep makes may raise diabetes risk

Have you deprived of improper sleep at night? Beware you are likely to be overweight and at risk of developing diabetes, a new study has warned. The findings showed that people who were sleeping an average of six hours a night had a waist measurement that was 3 cm greater than individuals who were getting nine hours of sleep a night.

People with shorter sleep were also heavier. The results strengthen the evidence that insufficient sleep could contribute to the development of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, the researchers said.

"The number of people with obesity worldwide has more than doubled since 1980. Obesity is contributes development of many diseases, most notably Type two diabetes. Understanding why people gain weight has crucial implications for public health," said Greg Potter.

For the study, the team involved 1,615 adults who reported how long they slept and kept records of food intake. Further, people with shorter sleep duration also had a decrease in the levels of HDL cholesterol also known as good cholesterol, which helps remove 'bad' fat from the circulation and protect against conditions such as heart disease.

"Because we found that adults who reported sleeping less than their peers were more likely to be overweight or obese, our findings highlight the importance of getting enough sleep. How much sleep we need differs between people, but the current consensus is that seven to nine hours is best for most adults," said Laura Hardie.