According to Diabetes.co.uk, sleep deprivation may have an influence on insulin resistance. Some studies suggest that a lack of sleep can increase the risk of diabetes, as well as other chronic diseases. And that’s not all. Aside from being in a grumpy mood, people who lack sleep feel greater fatigue and are more inclined to indulge in comfort foods. This is not surprising since sleep patterns are closely related to the regulation of hormones involved in appetite control and weight management.
If you are wondering whether you are sleep deprived or not, check out this neat trick designed by Nathaniel Kleitman, a researcher from the University of Chicago. All you need is a spoon and a plate. The good professor suggests giving this experiment a try during the day in a room with minimal light.
Place the plate on the floor beside your bed. Clutch the spoon in your hand and hold it above the plate. Check the time before you drift away to la-la land. When you fall asleep, you will release the spoon from your senseless hand, letting it hit the plate. The loud “clang” will pull you out of dreamland and back to reality. Check the time again.
If you manage to drift away within 5 minutes, then you are clearly in need of more sleep. Reaching the land of Nod in the lapse of 10 minutes suggests that your sleepy time is not optimal while taking 15 minutes or more means that you are getting enough shut-eye.
This story was reported by TVA Nouvelles.
On that note, here’s an image that pretty sums up the culprit behind my sleep deprivation…
