How Sleep Impacts Insulin Sensitivity and Blood Sugar Control
Insulin is a hormone that helps to keep our blood glucose (aka blood sugar) in check. It works to change the glucose we consume (via sugars) into usable energy. Insulin sensitivity is how sensitive the body’s cells are to insulin. A high insulin sensitivity is a good thing; it means that we are effectively processing the glucose that we consume. A low insulin sensitivity (aka insulin resistance) means that we are not properly processing glucose. Approximately 38% of American adults have some level of insulin resistance. This could be due to: having excess body fat (especially belly fat), a lack of exercise, a diet high in sugar, smoking, or a lack of sleep. When we increase our insulin resistance, we are not able to properly convert food into energy. This can cause us to gain weight, is bad for our metabolic health, and significantly increases our risk type 2 diabetes.
Sleep And Insulin Sensitivity
Even one night of partial sleep deprivation can increase our risk of insulin resistance. While we know it is challenging to get the recommended amount of sleep, any little bit will help improve insulin sensitivity. Research has shown that extending our sleep by just one hour per day can significantly improve insulin sensitivity.
In people with diabetes, researchers have found the individuals who sleep poorly have a higher insulin resistance. For these individuals, blood sugar control is incredibly important for their safety so any way in which we can make it easier to manage their condition will improve their quality of life. People with diabetes who are poor sleepers can have up to 82% higher insulin resistance when compared to people with diabetes who sleep normally. This is a huge difference and can significantly impact life expectancy.
How Can We Improve Insulin Sensitivity?
Getting as much sleep as possible is a great place to start. Just one extra hour per night can have a dramatic effect on our metabolic health and insulin sensitivity.
Exercise is another way to get a lot of metabolic health improvements in a small amount of time. Exercise helps to utilize some of the glucose in the blood to fuel your workouts. In this way it takes glucose out of the blood stream and puts it to use. This helps to bring the concentration of glucose in the blood down to normal ranges. If you are unsure of how to get started with a workout program then check out our Beginner’s Guide to Exercise for Metabolic Health.
Altering our diet by reducing sugar intake and increasing our consumption of soluble fiber helps to keep our blood sugar stable and not make our insulin work as hard. Lastly, try pairing a GOOD IDEA with your meal. GOOD IDEA is a lightly sparkling functional water with a specific blend of five amino acids and chromium picolinate that has been shown in clinical trials to reduce post-meal blood sugar by an average of 25%.
Article Highlights
- Approximately 38% of American adults have some level of insulin resistance.
- Research has shown that extending our sleep by just one hour per day can significantly improve insulin sensitivity.
- Diabetics who are poor sleepers can have up to 82% higher insulin resistance when compared to diabetics who sleep normally.
- Improve insulin sensitivity by prioritizing sleep quality and duration, exercise, reducing our consumption of processed foods and sugar, add a GOOD IDEA to our meals.
Author: Dr. Colleen Gulick