Sleep Debts Boost Diabetes Risks in Teens

Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry argue in a new study that teens who sleep less than 7 hour per night expose themselves to a higher risk of developing diabetes later on.

If the young adults – who usually only get 6 hours of sleep per night, on average – slept for at least 7 hours, then their insulin resistance would increase by more than 9 percent, making it significantly more difficult for diabetes to set in.

Details of the study were published in the October issue of the journal SLEEP, PsychCentral reports.

This is the first investigation to be conducted on healthy teens, and independently of obesity. The latter is a known risk factor for diabetes, heart conditions, depression, and a host of other medical conditions.

“High levels of insulin resistance can lead to the development of diabetes,” lead study author Karen Matthews, PhD, explains.