Type 2 diabetes, a chronic condition resulting from the body’s inability to effectively use insulin, accounts for approximately 90 to 95% of all diabetes cases worldwide. With an estimated 540 million people affected globally in 2021, T2D is a growing public health concern, exacerbated by factors such as stress, sedentary lifestyles, and poor diet.
Study Highlights Link Between Sleep Irregularity and Diabetes Risk
A July 2024 study led by Sina Kianersi and colleagues, published in Diabetes Care, investigated the relationship between irregular sleep duration and the development of T2D. Utilizing data from the UK Biobank, the study analyzed the sleep patterns of 84,421 participants who were initially free of diabetes. Participants wore accelerometers—devices that monitor activity similar to smartwatches—between 2013 and 2015, and were followed for seven years to track the onset of T2D.
The study found 2,058 new cases of T2D over 622,080 person-years of follow-up. Notably, participants with an average sleep deviation of 31 to 45 minutes had a 15% higher risk of developing T2D compared to those with a deviation of 30 minutes or less. The risk increased linearly with greater sleep deviations, with those experiencing 91 minutes or more of sleep variability facing a 59% higher risk after adjusting for age, sex, and race.
Modern Lifestyles and Poor Sleep
The study’s findings underscore the growing problem of poor and irregular sleep, which is often linked to modern lifestyles. Increasing stress from demanding work and family commitments, coupled with the widespread use of digital devices before bedtime, negatively impacts sleep patterns and duration. As digital device usage continues to rise, the prevalence of irregular and poor sleep is expected to worsen, further contributing to the risk of T2D.
Future Implications
These findings highlight the importance of maintaining regular sleep patterns as a potential strategy to mitigate the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Public health initiatives might benefit from promoting better sleep hygiene and managing factors that contribute to sleep irregularity. Further research is needed to explore the biological mechanisms underlying the association between sleep irregularity and diabetes risk and to confirm these findings across more diverse populations.
The growing evidence suggests that addressing sleep irregularities could play a crucial role in diabetes prevention, alongside other lifestyle modifications such as improved diet and increased physical activity.
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Unhealthy Sleep Patterns Linked to Increased Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Diverse Adult Population
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