Your body could pay the price for too many late nights: Skimping on sleep may raise your diabetes risk, finds recent research from the University of Chicago.
In the study, young, healthy men who were limited to just 4.5 hours of shuteye for 4 consecutive nights showed 30 percent higher levels of fatty acids in their blood than when they were allowed to snooze for 8.5 hours.
Here’s what might be happening: When you’re short on sleep, your body tends to pump out growth hormone for longer periods of time, and secrete higher levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Those hormonal changes seem to prompt cells in your body to release more fatty acids into your bloodstream, says lead study author Josiane Broussard, Ph.D.
All those fatty acids make it harder for your body to produce enough of the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar. Without enough insulin, your glucose can build up in your blood, instead of being absorbed by your body. This can cause your blood sugar to skyrocket, putting you on the road to diabetes.
Usually, only people who have diabetes or who are obese have elevated fatty acid levels. But if you consistently miss sleep over time, the study suggests you could be on your way to developing both of those conditions.
The good news: You should be able to reverse the effects. According to Broussard, the preliminary data hints that simply getting enough solid shuteye may help regulate your blood sugar and improve other metabolic parameters.
Need help falling—and staying—asleep? Follow our sleep doctor’s tips for the 5 Best Ways to Snooze Better Every Night.