According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), short sleep times may contribute to the development of insulin resistance and reduced glucose tolerance, increasing the long-term risk of developing diabetes. Shorter sleep times, combined with physical inactivity and overeating, indicated a greater risk of developing diabetes.  People who slept fewer than six hours each night were more likely to show changes in blood sugar levels than those who slept more than eight hours each night.

This article originally appeared in the October 2009 issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter.