Proper sleep lowers risk of diabetes in men

"Catch-up sleep" important with busy weekday routines.

LOS ANGELES: Scientists have found that adequate sleep can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in men, says a US study.

The findings of the research, carried out by Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed), were presented at the Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco Tuesday.

The study by Peter Liu, an LA BioMed lead researcher, found that insulin sensitivity - the body's ability to clear glucose (blood sugar) from the bloodstream - significantly improved after three nights of "catch-up sleep" on the weekend in men with long-term, weekday sleep restrictions, reports Science Daily.

"We all know we need to get adequate sleep, but that is often impossible because of work demands and busy lifestyles," said Liu. "Our study found extending the hours of sleep can improve the body's use of insulin, thereby reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes in adult men.