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American Medicine

Getting enough sleep is very important. Reduced sleep can lead to diabetes and obesity. Sleep also helps learning and memory.

A recent study shows how the benefits of sleep occur. In a study by J. Broussard and coauthors http://bit.ly/QKf7b1 people were allowed either 4.5 or 8.5 hours of sleep. In people with shorter sleep, biopsies of fat cells from the area around the navel showed resistance to insulin compared to people with more sleep.

This means that sleep makes our cells more responsive to the benefits of our insulin. Too little sleep makes us metabolically like diabetic patients. You need sufficient sleep to keep your body working properly!

What should you do? Here are my tips.

Keep track of how many hours you sleep.

• Get enough sleep every night.
• If you do not get enough sleep  (7-8 hours), discuss with your doctor how to improve your sleep habits.
• If you suspect a sleep disorder (difficulty getting to sleep, snoring, arousal due to muscle twitches or breathing hesitation), be certain to tell your physician to get tests or medicines to improve your condition.

For more information see Chapter 12 “You Have Only One Body – Take Care of It!” in my new book Surviving American Medicine.