Getting less than six hours of sleep may raise type 2 diabetes risk – study

The researchers said further studies are needed to validate the findings, but added that their work suggests healthy eating alone cannot compensate for chronic sleep deprivation

Too little sleep raises risk of type 2 diabetes, scientists say (Peter Byrne/PA)

People who sleep less than six hours every night may have a 16% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes – even when they eat healthily, research suggests.

An analysis of data from nearly 250,000 adults in the UK suggests people sleeping between three and four hours a night may have a 41% higher risk of developing the condition, compared with those who get more than seven hours, while five hours or so of sleep was associated with a 16% higher risk.