The popular idea of being healthy is usually assumed to be exercising regularly and eating healthy. People are unaware that sleep plays an important role in physical and mental health as a non-negotiable recovery process.
Hectic work hours, elevated stress levels, and an unhealthy lifestyle can lead to irregular sleep patterns. It may interfere with your health.
It is a common misconception that cholesterol and diabetes are usually hereditary diseases and can only be caused by unhealthy eating patterns and lifestyles. Short-term sleep deprivation can put you at risk for both cholesterol abnormalities and diabetes, according to a report published in the Harvard Health Journal.
So let’s dig deeper into how sleep affects cholesterol and diabetes levels.
what happens when you sleep
Sleep helps repair and recharge your body and mind. A hormone called melatonin is released during sleep, which relaxes the body and slightly lowers blood pressure and heart rate. But sleep deprivation and circadian rhythm disruptions can change things. Insomnia generally makes the body work abnormally. It affects your mental and physical ability to prepare your body for the next day.
Relationship between sleep deprivation and cholesterol
Lack of sleep leads to elevated cholesterol and blood pressure. His 2009 study, called “Issue of Sleep,” found that men who slept less than six hours a night had higher LDL cholesterol. Additionally, women who got about the same amount of sleep had lower cholesterol levels. Now, this also shows that sleep affects men and women differently. Lack of sleep can lower levels of leptin, a hormone that stabilizes metabolism and appetite. There is no doubt that obese people often have high cholesterol levels. Even in 2020, a study by the Military Cognitive Neuroscience Institute of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Beijing showed that sleep deprivation raised serum cholesterol levels and promoted cholesterol accumulation in the liver.
diabetes and sleep deprivation
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), having irregular sleep patterns can increase insulin resistance in the body. Her 2009 report in Diabetes Care found that people with persistent insomnia were at higher risk for type 2 diabetes. Similarly, people with diabetes often have poor sleep because they urinate frequently at night. Even in prediabetes, poor sleep patterns exacerbate glucose intolerance.
Lack of sleep has been found to increase levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and decrease levels of the satiety hormone leptin. That’s why people seek relief from foods that raise blood sugar levels.The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Association recommend that adults get at least seven to eight hours of sleep per day for her. Staying up late means binge-watching and eating, often resulting in consuming junk his food high in carbohydrates and sugars. All of this puts her at risk for type 2 diabetes and has been linked to obesity as well.
Here’s how to improve your sleep patterns and get quality sleep.
Set a sleep schedule: As with any routine, having a clear sleep pattern helps you maintain a cycle of rest and activity. Going to bed at the same time every day and waking up on time will help you get quality sleep.
Relax before bed: Properly relaxing your body and mind before bed can help you sleep like a baby. For that, you need to put your phone aside for at least 30 hours before bed. Make sure the room is dark and quiet. In addition, you can always read a good book or listen to soothing music to prepare yourself for a deep sleep.
A healthy diet and exercise are key. In addition to regular sleep, proper diet and regular exercise will help you get a good night’s sleep. Eat a nutritious snack 4 hours before bed. 20-30 minutes of exercise is a must.
By following these tips and monitoring your sleep patterns, you can reduce your risk of high cholesterol and diabetes and improve your health.
