The importance of good quality sleep can never be overstated. In the short term, adequate sleep results in improved mood and cognitive function, while regularly getting enough sleep can help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline in the long term.
Now, findings from a new study indicates that consistently good sleep could also reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. After monitoring the sleep patterns of over 84,000 participants from the UK over the course of seven days and then tracking their health for the following seven years, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, discovered that irregular sleep durations were associated with increased risk of diabetes.
Key takeaways from the new study:
- Study findings indicate that consistently getting enough sleep could help prevent Type 2 diabetes
- The study monitored sleep patterns over the course of seven nights and then followed participants for more than seven years
- Results show that individuals with the greatest irregular sleep patterns had a 34% higher diabetes risk than those who regularly get adequate sleep
The findings from the study, published in Diabetes Care, showed that of the 84,000 participants, those with the most irregular sleep patterns (which fluctuated by more than 60 minutes per night on average) had a 34% heightened risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. As a result, researchers are able to conclude that consistent quality sleep can help prevent the disease.
What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that develops over time. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin to function properly, which leads to high blood sugar levels. In some Type 2 diabetes sufferers, insulin is produced but the body doesn’t use it correctly, which has the same effect. Insulin is crucial to converting sugar into energy.
If untreated, Type 2 diabetes can cause a host of health complications, including vision loss, kidney damage, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 38 million Americans have diabetes and approximately 90% to 95% of them have type 2 diabetes. Age, weight, family history and poor diet are all risk factors of Type 2 diabetes, which is a preventable disease.
Irregular sleep patterns increases risk of Type 2 diabetes, new study shows
The study conducted by researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital tracked the sleep habits of over 84,000 UK based participants using an accelerometer, a wearable sleep and movement tracking device. Researchers then monitored the medical record of the study participants over the following seven years.
An irregular sleep pattern is characterized by having an undefined sleep and wake time, which means you go to bed and wake up at different times every day. Lifestyle factors are usually the cause, but it can also be down to a condition called circadian rhythm sleep disorder which causes disruption to your sleep-wake cycle.
The finding showed that those who had the most irregular sleep patterns (varying from 60 minutes or more per night) had a 34% increased risk on contracting Type 2 diabetes compared to the study participants who had consistent sleep schedules.
In addition the existing risk factors, these results indicate that irregular sleep patterns could increase the your chance of developing Type 2 diabetes. These finding highlight the importance of quality sleep in the prevention against the chronic disease, explained lead author Sina Kianersi, Ph.D., a research fellow in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
"Our study identified a modifiable lifestyle factor that can help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes," said Dr Kianersi. "Our findings underscore the importance of consistent sleep patterns as a strategy to reduce type 2 diabetes."
How to fix your sleep schedule
In addition to helping prevent Type 2 diabetes, a consistent quality sleep schedule underpins your overall health. Lifestyle factors, jet lag and shift work are usually to blame for an irregular sleep and wake cycle. Here's how to fix yours, starting from tonight.
1. Set a bed time (and stick to it)
Begin fixing your sleep schedule by establish a realistic time you would like to go to sleep, ensuring that you've left eight hours before the time you need to wake up tomorrow (exactly how much sleep you need will vary from person to person). Once you've settled on this time, begin a nighttime routine between 30 and 60 minutes beforehand. This could involve reading a book, writing in a journal or having a bath - it needs to be something you find relaxing and enjoyable (if it's a chore, you're less likely to do it).
Doing the same thing every night before bed will help signal to your brain the sleep is imminent, and will help establish a regular sleep time.
2. Avoid pre-bed stimulation
Whether it's alcohol, caffeine or embarking in revenge bedtime procrastination, too much stimulation in the run up to bed time can make it harder to fall asleep. As a result, you'll end up going to sleep asleep later and waking up later, which will only serve to scramble your sleep schedule further.
As well as consuming stimulants like coffee or sugar, avoid watching or reading anything distressing or thought-provoking (like the news) before bed.
3. Wake at the same time every day
When it comes to establishing a consistent sleep schedule, when you wake up is crucial. If you've had a disturbed night's slumber, it can be tempting to make up for any lost sleep by pressing snooze on your alarm - don't. Just like going to sleep at the same time every day signals to your body that it's time for sleep, waking up at the same time every day (yes, even on the weekends) will is an important step to creating a healthy and consistent sleep and wake cycle.
