Q&A: Can poor sleeping habits increase diabetes risk?

Yes. Research presented at a June 2009 conference backed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that sleeping for five or fewer hours a night significantly increases a person's risk of type 2 diabetes. And a 2008 study found that depriving healthy young adults of deep sleep disrupted their bodies' ability to regulate blood sugar. In addition, recent research suggests that type 2 diabetes may be associated with a genetic mutation that affects the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.

Find out if you're at risk for diabetes, take a look at 10 myths about diabetes, and find out which type 2 diabetes treatments work best (subscribers only).