Credits: Social Media
Irregular sleep patterns could put you at higher risk of diabetes, new research finds
Keeping a good nighttime routine is a great way to improve your mental and physical health, and new research shows that an irregular sleep pattern can even put you at higher risk of diabetes.
A study identified a modifiable lifestyle factor that can help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and it’s not food or exercise – it’s sleep. Data revealed that compared with participants with regular sleep patterns, those with irregular sleep had a higher risk of developing diabetes.
A bad night’s sleep puts you at higher risk of type 2 diabetes
A study on the association between accelerometer-measured irregular sleep duration and type 2 Diabetes risk was published in Diabetes Care, suggesting that getting consistent sleep could help prevent the condition.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by a problem in the way the body regulates and uses sugar (glucose) as a fuel, resulting in too much sugar circulating in the blood. Eventually, high blood sugar levels can lead to disorders of the circulatory, nervous, and immune systems.
A team led by investigators at Brigham and Womens Hospital analyzed the sleep patterns of study participants over seven nights and then followed them for more than seven years.
The researchers found that compared with participants with regular sleep patterns, those with irregular sleep (where day-to-day sleep duration varied by more than 60 minutes on average) had a 34 percent higher risk of developing diabetes.
The study analyzed accelerometry data from more than 84,000 participants in the UK Biobank Study (a large-scale biomedical database and research resource).
Participants were an average age of 62 years (57 percent female, 97 percent white) and were initially free of diabetes. They wore accelerometers (devices that monitor) for 7� years, tracking diabetes development mostly through medical records.
Limitations of the study highlight that certain lifestyle information used in the research was collected before the accelerometer study began, potentially affecting the accuracy of the results.
Additionally, the assessment of sleep duration based on seven days may not capture long-term sleep patterns. Also, the participants were mainly healthy, older, and white – meaning they may not represent outcomes for more diverse populations.
Importance of a good nighttime routine with regular sleep
Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health, News in Health explains. Not getting enough quality sleep regularly also raises the risk of many other diseases and disorders – ranging from heart disease and stroke to obesity and dementia.
Are you struggling to get into a good sleep routine? It’s worth trying to set aside no more than eight hours for sleep, since the recommended amount for a healthy adult is at least seven hours.
You should go to bed and get out of bed at the same time every day because being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Yes, this includes weekends.
Read more about sleep tips, including the optimal bedroom temperature for the perfect nights sleep, and how sharing a bed could be affecting your rest.
