The findings of the research, carried out by Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed), were presented at the Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco Tuesday.
The study by Peter Liu, an LA BioMed lead researcher, found that insulin sensitivity - the body's ability to clear glucose ( blood sugar) from the bloodstream - significantly improved after three nights of "catch-up sleep" on the weekend in men with long-term, weekday sleep restrictions, reports Science Daily.
We all know we need to get adequate sleep, but that is often impossible because of work demands and busy lifestyles," said Liu. "Our study found extending the hours of sleep can improve the body's use of insulin, thereby reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes in adult men.
Ellen Caroll has often asked herself this exact question – especially when it comes to helping her family members get the amount of sleep they need. With a son in preschool and a daughter in high school, a husband who works over 50 hours a week and aging parents, one with Parkinson's disease, Ellen's family runs the gamut when it comes to age and sleep needs. Because all of Ellen's family members have busy schedules, they often forget to put their sleep needs ahead of their other priorities. Not only does Ellen need to convince her family that getting the right amount of sleep is important, but she also needs to figure out how much sleep they really need!