This is the exact amount of sleep that you need to stop weight gain and stay healthy

God, we wish it was Sunday again.

The weekend shoots by in a flash and when you drag your arse out of bed for the new working week it barely feels like you've had a rest. There are always some some people that seem like they can survive on just 3 hours of sleep and multiple cups of coffee. While the energy of these Terminators/Energizer Bunnies is to be admired, they may want to take heed of a recent study that was done by VU University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. By looking at the relationship between sleep duration, insulin sensitivity and the potential onset of diabetes and heart disease, they aimed to ascertain the ideal amount of sleep that people need to stay healthy. Their results found that found that seven hours of sleep is the perfect amount to maintain insulin production and glucose levels, two important factors in preventing weight gain and the early onset of diabetes. Previous research has shown that sleeping less than seven hours can be a factor in disrupting the glucose metabolism in both men and women. We also know sleep deprivation can make you gain weight, increase your stress hormone cortisol levels (which can make you store belly fat) and even mess with your appetite-suppressing hormone leptin, making you want to eat more. When you sleep you release growth hormone that helps repair and re-energise your muscles which is particularly important if you train hard or have an active job. So maybe get an early night in tonight, eh?