A study by European researchers suggests that Too much or too little sleep may raise the risk of diabetes in men, but not women. The study involved nearly 800 healthy adults in 14 European countries. Compared to men who slept about seven hours a night, the men who slept the most or the least were more likely to have an impaired ability to break down sugar and to have higher blood sugar levels, the research found. This put them at increased risk for diabetes. But compared to women who slept an average amount, the women who slept the most or least were more responsive to the hormone insulin and also had enhanced function of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. These findings suggest sleep problems may not increase women's risk of diabetes. During the last 50 years, the average amount of sleep for individuals has decreased by 1.5 to two hours a night, and the prevalence of diabetes has doubled.
