Doctor warns sleeping only 5-6 hours a day raises risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes: ‘Reduces muscle glucose uptake…’

Sleep deprivation not only contributes to fatigue but also messes with your metabolism. Dr Sood explains how this raises obesity and diabetes risk.

If you’re someone who powers through the day on just five or six hours of sleep, you may be unknowingly putting your health at risk. Chronic short sleep doesn’t simply leave you feeling tired - it can quietly drive weight gain and raise your chances of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Sleeping fewer than seven hours a night disrupts key hormones, destabilises glucose balance, and interferes with how your body absorbs and utilises nutrients, setting off a chain reaction that affects everything from appetite to metabolism.

Poor sleep disrupts your metabolism and key hormones.(Unsplash)

Dr Kunal Sood, an anaesthesiologist and interventional pain medicine specialist, has highlighted the often-overlooked yet significant link between inadequate sleep, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. In an Instagram video posted on November 20, the physician points out, “Sleeping less than 6-7 hours a night does more than cause fatigue. It disrupts your body’s ability to manage blood sugar and appetite.”

Glucose control and insulin resistance

Inadequate sleep doesn’t just disrupt your hormones - it also affects how your muscles absorb and process glucose. Dr Sood elaborates, “Even a few nights of four to five hours of sleep can reduce muscle glucose uptake, raise liver glucose output, and blunt insulin secretion. Short sleep also increases cortisol, inflammation, and sympathetic activity, driving insulin resistance.”

Appetite hormones and weight gain

According to Dr Sood, insufficient sleep raises levels of ghrelin - the hunger hormone - while lowering levels of leptin, which signals fullness, ultimately leaving you more inclined to crave carb and fat-heavy foods. He explains, “Controlled studies show calorie intake rises by about 20 percent when sleep is restricted, often leading to visceral fat accumulation and worsening glucose control.”

Obesity and type 2 diabetes

The doctor notes that people who routinely sleep fewer than six hours a night face a 28 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, along with a greater likelihood of weight gain. Dr Sood specifies, “Sleep deprivation disrupts circadian clocks in the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue, amplifying insulin resistance and appetite dysregulation.”

The physician emphasises the dangers of inadequate sleep, stating, “Short or poor sleep alters hormones, increases hunger, and impairs glucose control, making it a hidden risk factor for obesity and diabetes.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.