Everyone desires to live a healthy life, and with increasing age, preventing diseases becomes even more important. A new study has now attempted to determine how many hours of sleep are needed daily to stay protected from a condition like type 2 diabetes.
Published in the medical journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, the study examined in detail the relationship between sleep duration and insulin sensitivity. According to experts, sleep is not only essential for physical rest but also plays an important role in maintaining balanced blood sugar levels.
For this study, data from approximately 23,000 individuals collected under the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was analyzed. Researchers observed how sleep duration affects blood glucose functions and whether getting extra sleep on weekends has any positive impact.
The results showed that an average of 7 hours and 19 minutes of sleep per night is considered ideal for preventing type 2 diabetes, while sleeping around 8 hours on weekends may be more beneficial. According to the study, this duration improves insulin sensitivity and helps reduce the risk of the disease.
It was further found that if a person sleeps less on regular days but compensates with two or more additional hours of sleep on weekends, it can also have positive effects on the body, especially for those who are unable to get adequate sleep in their daily routine.
Experts say that although more research is needed in this regard, one thing is clear that regular and quality sleep is extremely important for health. According to them, sleeping and waking at the same time every day not only keeps the body’s system balanced but also plays a key role in preventing diseases like diabetes.
