Study Reveals Association Between Insufficient Sleep and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Women
A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health has highlighted the detrimental effects of chronic insufficient sleep, particularly in women, on their risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The findings, published in Diabetes Care, shed light on the relationship between sleep deprivation and insulin resistance.
The study, co-funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), focused on the impact of prolonged, mild sleep restriction on insulin sensitivity in women. The research, led by Marishka Brown, Ph.D., director of the National Center on Sleep Disorder Research at the NHLBI, aimed to fill the gap in existing research, which primarily focused on short-term, severe sleep restriction in men.
A total of 40 women, aged 20-75, with healthy sleep patterns and normal fasting glucose levels but with elevated risks for cardiometabolic disease, participated in the study. Researchers found that restricting sleep to 6.2 hours or less per night over six weeks resulted in a 14.8% increase in insulin resistance in both pre- and postmenopausal women, with more pronounced effects observed in postmenopausal women, reaching as high as 20.1%.
Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells become less able to use insulin effectively, leading to elevated blood glucose levels and an increased risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. The study also revealed that the effects of sleep restriction on insulin resistance were largely independent of changes in body weight.
“The findings of this study underscore the critical importance of adequate sleep in minimizing the risk for type 2 diabetes, especially for postmenopausal women,” said Dr. Brown. “Our goal is to raise awareness about the impact of sleep disturbances on women’s health and to conduct further research in this area to better understand how sleep deficiency affects metabolism.”
The study authors emphasized the need for additional research to explore sleep interventions as a tool in type 2 diabetes prevention efforts, as well as to understand the broader health effects of small sleep deficits in both men and women.
The study, “Chronic Insufficient Sleep in Women Impairs Insulin Sensitivity Independent of Adiposity Changes: Results of a Randomized Trial,” was published in Diabetes Care.
The findings of this study contribute to advancing scientific knowledge about the relationship between sleep and metabolic health, and may ultimately inform public health guidelines regarding sleep recommendations for women at risk for type 2 diabetes.
For more information about the study and its findings, please refer to the published paper in Diabetes Care or visit the websites of the NHLBI and the NIDDK.
This research received funding from NHLBI and NIDDK, with clinical trial support from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
###