Researchers have investigated the link between sleep deprivation and visceral fat, the dangerous belly fat that accumulates around vital organs and is linked to metabolic disorders and insulin resistance.

The new study was published in the journal Sleep Medicine, reports nypost.com.

It says that you need to sleep from 7 to 8 hours a day.

It is noted that one less hour of daily sleep can lead to an overall increase in visceral fat mass of about 12 grams.

"Sleep duration is negatively associated with the accumulation of visceral fat mass in adulthood, and there may be no benefit beyond eight hours of sleep per day," the international team of scientists wrote, noting that further research is needed to confirm their findings.

The latest study included data from more than 5,100 adults aged 18 to 59 who responded to the 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

The duration of sleep was indicated in the home interview questionnaire.

X-ray technology was used to measure body fat mass.

Respondents usually slept about seven hours a night.

The average age was 37 years.

Last year, experts determined that nearly half of Americans are sleep deprived.

Meanwhile, more than half of the world's population will be overweight or obese by 2035, according to the World Obesity Atlas 2023 report.

Caused by environmental factors, stress, or habits such as poor diet or a sedentary lifestyle, visceral fat is especially dangerous to your overall health.

It can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other diseases, Healthline reports.

Earlier this month, results from the European Society of Cardiology showed that less than five hours of sleep increased the risk of peripheral artery disease by 74% compared to those who slept 7 to 8 hours a night.

But some studies show that it's not about the number of hours, but the quality of sleep.

One study conducted last year found that fast and sound sleep is more important than how long it lasts.

We will remind, scientists

that worsens the work of the heart.

For the first time, scientists were able to prove the connection between atherosclerosis and insufficient sleep duration.

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