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A new study finds that a lack of sleep may lead to type-2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and weight gain.
The Annals of Internal Medicine published the study, which indicates that fewer than seven hours of sleep per night reduces the ability of the body’s fat cells to respond to the hormone insulin. This can lead to numerous health issues, including obesity. A lack of sleep increases levels of hunger, which may result in overeating.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 1 in 5 Americans get six of fewer hours of sleep per night.
Sleep expert Helene Emsellem, director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders, told NPR the study supports “an intimate relationship between the amount of sleep we get and our ability to maintain a good, healthy body weight.”
How to localize:
Reach out through the Web, Facebook and Twitter for feedback and reaction to the study. How much sleep do people in your community get on average? Break it down into age groups.
Ask sleep experts and medical personnel their thoughts on the study. What do they recommend?
How much sleep does a person get who works evening hours or the graveyard shift? Is it harder to sleep seven to nine hours during the day?
