Research

Hormonal

Two nights of partial sleep deprivation (approx. 4 hours sleep opportunity) significantly decreases fasting and postprandial insulin sensitivity in normal-weight young men, while simultaneously altering gut microbiota composition by increasing the Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio and the abundance of Coriobacteriaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae.

If you are a healthy young adult, restricting your sleep to ~4 hours for two consecutive nights will likely impair your body's ability to handle glucose (insulin sensitivity) and shift your gut bacteria towards profiles often seen in metabolic disorders. While the gut changes might not directly cause the insulin resistance, the metabolic risk is real. Prioritize getting 7-9 hours of sleep to maintain metabolic health.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Fasting and postprandial insulin sensitivity decreased after PSD vs. NS (all P < 0.05)... individuals exhibited an increased Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio, higher abundances of the families Coriobacteriaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae, and lower abundance of Tenericutes (all P < 0.05)
Christian Benedict et al. · Molecular Metabolism · 2016

Why this rating

Small sample size (n=9), short duration (2 nights), and lack of causal link between microbiota and insulin sensitivity found.

Source

Gut microbiota and glucometabolic alterations in response to recurrent partial sleep deprivation in normal-weight young individuals

Christian Benedict et al. · Molecular Metabolism · 2016

DOI 10.1016/j.molmet.2016.10.003

crossover · n=9Cited 322×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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