Research
Mixed
Short sleep duration (less than 7-8 hours) and poor sleep quality are associated with a 9% increased risk of type 2 diabetes for each hour of shorter sleep, mediated by decreased insulin sensitivity.
Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Each hour of sleep lost beyond this range increases your diabetes risk by 9%. Sleep restriction directly decreases whole-body insulin sensitivity, so prioritizing sleep duration is a critical, non-negotiable part of diabetes prevention.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
A recent meta-analysis of prospective studies reported the lowest risk of diabetes for 7–8 hours per day of sleep and an increased risk by 9% for each 1-h shorter sleep duration [63].
Why this rating
Based on a meta-analysis of prospective studies and controlled sleep lab trials.
Source
Environmental/lifestyle factors in the pathogenesis and prevention of type 2 diabetes
Hubert Kolb et al. · BMC Medicine · 2017
DOI 10.1186/s12916-017-0901-x
narrative_reviewCited 727×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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