Can Lack Of Sleep Cause Diabetes & Obesity

Inability to sleep has caused problems with relationships, poor performace and work, irritability and other problems.  It had been noted that in addition to disruption in family life, shift workers have a much higher incidence of diabetes and obesity than people working regular day time schedules.  Much of the problem was attributed to eating habits but there remained the question if the broken sleep patterns were a contributing factor.  In a recent study performed at the Brigham and Women's Hospital on 21 healthy people, it was discovered that poor sleep lead to a lower metabolic rate. This means that insomnia, or inadequate sleep may lead to your burning fewer calories with consequent weight gain.  They also noted that the insulin response to blood sugar after a meal was diminished.  As a result the blood sugar went higher and stayed up longer after a meal.  In our society, people place a premium on hard work and often brag about how little sleep they get.  As a society in which there is an epidemic of diabetes and obesity, we should be encouraging people to get more good quality sleep. 

Inability to sleep has caused problems with relationships, poor performace and work, irritability and other problems. It had been noted that in addition to disruption in family life, shift workers have a much higher incidence of diabetes and obesity than people working regular day time schedules. Much of the problem was attributed to eating habits but there remained the question if the broken sleep patterns were a contributing factor. In a recent study performed at the Brigham and Women's Hospital on 21 healthy people, it was discovered that poor sleep lead to a lower metabolic rate. This means that insomnia, or inadequate sleep may lead to your burning fewer calories with consequent weight gain. They also noted that the insulin response to blood sugar after a meal was diminished. As a result the blood sugar went higher and stayed up longer after a meal. In our society, people place a premium on hard work and often brag about how little sleep they get. As a society in which there is an epidemic of diabetes and obesity, we should be encouraging people to get more good quality sleep.

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