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Sleep lack may up diabetes in obese teens

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Obese teens who don't get a good night's sleep might increase their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, U.S. researchers said.

Study investigator Dr. Dorit Koren, a pediatric endocrinologist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said the study involved 62 obese adolescents with a mean age of 14 at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

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The study participants -- white, African-American and Hispanic teenagers -- underwent glucose testing and an overnight sleep study. In addition to measuring total sleep time, the scientists studied "sleep architecture," analyzing stages of sleep such as slow-wave "deep" sleep and rapid eye movement (dream) sleep. The optimal sleep duration was neither too little nor too much -- both insufficient and excessive sleep were linked to higher glucose levels, Koren said.

While sleep stages did not predict glucose levels, lower duration of N3 -- "deep" sleep -- correlated with decreased insulin secretion, the researchers said.

"We already know that three out of four high school students report getting insufficient sleep," Koren said in a statement. "Our study found to keep glucose levels stable, the optimal amount of sleep for teenagers is 7.5 to 8.5 hours per night."

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That is consistent with research in adults showing an association between sleep deprivation and increased risk of type 2 diabetes, Koren said.

The study was published online in the journal Diabetes Care.

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