Sleeping less than 7 hours increases Type-2 diabetes risk, know how much sleep you need

Due to poor lifestyle, the risk of diabetes is increasing rapidly all over the world including India. Not only youth but also children are becoming victims of diabetes. Carelessness in eating and drinking and some unhealthy habits are pushing people towards diabetes. Now research by UK Biobank has revealed that diabetes Type 2 is also related to your sleep. This biobank collects data based on which medical research is conducted. This new research has revealed that there is a deep connection between sleep and diabetes. Yes, if you do not sleep for at least 7 hours every day, then the risk of Type 2 diabetes increases rapidly. 

This research has been done on about 2,47,867 youth for more than 10 years. In which an attempt has been made to understand the relationship between your sleeping time and Type 2 diabetes. Can the risk of diabetes be reduced just by eating healthy? Even if the person is sleeping for less time. In research, normal sleeping time is considered to be between 7-8 hours, while 6 hours, 5 hours and 3-4 hours of sleep is considered less.

The risk of diabetes Type 2 increases due to less sleep

At the time of this research, about 3.2 per cent of people were found to be suffering from diabetes Type 2. While these people were taking a healthy diet and when their sleep was reduced to less than 6 hours a day, the people who slept less had a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes than those who slept normally. People who slept only 5 hours a day were found to have a 16% higher risk of diabetes. Whereas people who were getting only 3-4 hours of sleep were found to have a 41% higher risk of diabetes Type 2. This study was done with a healthy diet, which included fruits, vegetables, red meat and fish. The research found that people who slept less even after a healthy diet had a higher risk of diabetes Type 2.

What is Type 2 diabetes?

In type 2 diabetes, the body is not able to produce enough insulin in the pancreas or the body is not able to use the insulin produced properly. Insulin balances the glucose we get from food in the blood and transports it to the cells. Due to this, the body gets energy. Previous research has also shown that people who sleep less have higher amounts of fatty acids in their blood, which affects insulin function. In such a situation, the body is unable to control the glucose level and the amount of sugar in the blood increases. This creates the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

How to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes?

According to health experts, the risk of Type 2 diabetes can be significantly reduced by a healthy lifestyle. The most important thing in this is your diet and sleep. The risk of diabetes can be reduced by getting 7-8 hours of sleep regularly. Apart from this, high-intensity exercise and keeping weight under control also reduce the risk of diabetes.

Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are not felt for a long time. Many times people do not understand that they are victims of diabetes. This is the reason why people are not able to get diabetes treated for a long time. When one is suffering from diabetes one feels very thirsty. Feeling hungry and urinating frequently. Feel tired and weak throughout the day. If someone gets injured, it takes a long time for the wound to heal.

The threat of Type 2 diabetes is looming over India

According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, about 77 million people above 18 years of age in India are suffering from diabetes (Type 2). About 25 million people are prediabetic and more than 50% are not aware that they have diabetes. In India, the risk of diabetes is increasing rapidly among youth aged 20 to 30 years. The risk of heart attack and stroke increases 2-3 times in youth suffering from diabetes. 

ALSO READ: Who can take Insulin? How to store it, when to take it, precautions, side effects and more