People who get only six hours of sleep a night have been found to have a waist circumference that is three centimetres greater than those who sleep for nine hours.
As per a study conducted by the researchers from the University of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, people who have improper sleep schedules have a higher possibility of being overweight and obese and develop serious metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
The researchers enrolled 1,615 adults and noted their sleep duration and dietary intake. Blood samples from each participant were obtained, and their weight, waist circumference, and blood pressures were recorded.
The potential relationship between sleep duration, diet, weight, and other metabolic parameters such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and thyroid function was studied.
The results demonstrated that inadequate sleep had a possible connection with decreased HDL cholesterol, which is considered ‘good’ cholesterol, as it keeps the heart healthy. It was also shown that the obesity resulting from poor sleep patterns was responsible for the development of Type-2 diabetes.Together, these findings underscore the importance of getting around seven to nine hours of sleep daily to maintain good health.
Together, these findings underscore the importance of getting around seven to nine hours of sleep daily to maintain good health.
Source: PLoS ONE Journal