A new study reveals that short sleep duration during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of gestational diabetes, according to Medscape.
Prior studies have shown that sleep restriction adversely affects appetite-regulating hormones, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and autonomic function. However, data regarding the clinical consequences of short sleep durations during pregnancy are limited.
The new study suggests that short sleep duration is a “modifiable risk factor associated with the development of gestational diabetes,” said study leader Kathyrn J. Reid, PhD, from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
