Sleep and Type 2 Diabetes…what is the relationship?

Given that we live in a fast-paced, sleep-deprived society where rates of  Diabetes are increasing in younger and younger people, the relationship between sleep and Type 2 Diabetes couldn’t be more relevant.

On a recent episode of Causes or Cures, I chatted with Dr. Diana Noga about her new research on the relationship between short sleep and the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. In the podcast, she discusses how they conducted their study and the theories for why a short nightly sleep duration may increase risk of Type 2. She also explains a surprising finding, which was that a healthy diet did not mitigate risk of Type 2 Diabetes when short sleep was involved. This is the first study to identify that! By the way, although a healthy diet did not mitigate the increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes when short sleep was present, a regular exercise routine did! I think these types of relationships are so important for folks to learn about, particularly those who are trying to use diet and exercise to control their Diabetes.

Of course, some of you might be saying that this is just another study showing the importance of sleep. Recent research has linked poor sleep to myriad illnesses…yet still, in many over-achieving segments of society, lack of sleep is seen as a badge of honor. We should change that. In fact, I ote to upgrade the oft-repeated Diet & Exercise duet to a trio: Sleep, Diet & Exercise

Who is Dr. Noga?

She is a researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden where she focuses on the relationship between sleep and health. You can learn more about her work here.

Tune into the podcast here or on my Youtube channel here. 

After you listen to the episode, I hope you check out some of the other Causes or Cures Podcasts, like this one on a new vaccine in the works for cancer in dogs.

Thanks for tuning in and for all your support!

Eeks