Researchers from Pennsylvania State University in the US found that an extra hour of sleep can lower blood pressure and normalize blood sugar levels. results published In the journal Sleep Health.
Researchers focused on studying the effects of increasing nightly sleep by one hour for a week on the health of teenagers. Twelve people aged 18-23 with an average body mass index of 24.5 participated in the experiment. It was noted that there were no problems in the physical and mental health of the participants.
For a week, participants slept according to their normal sleep schedule. At the same time, scientists collected information about the duration and quality of sleep using actigraphy watches. The researchers also recorded the subjects’ motor habits using hip accelerometers (devices that act as sensors for changes in the subject’s position in space).
Volunteers also provided urine and blood samples for initial analysis. Information was also collected on blood pressure levels, heart rates, and metabolic responses to a standard meal.
In a follow-up experiment (in the second week of the study), participants were instructed to increase their nightly sleep time by one hour. It is estimated that volunteers were able to extend their nightly rest periods by an average of 43 minutes. This change led to increased joy, according to participants’ evaluations of their well-being. Additionally, increased sleep duration was associated with decreased systolic blood pressure.
The study also found that the time it took for participants’ blood sugar levels to return to baseline after a meal also decreased. This indicates better regulation of glucose levels in the body, which is an important factor in treating and preventing diabetes.
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