Caution – Getting too little sleep increases your risk of diabetes

A recent study from Uppsala University, published in Open JAMA Networkfound that adults who sleep between three and five hours a night are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Research also indicates that maintaining a healthy diet alone is not enough to counteract the negative effects of lack of sleep. sleep chronicle.

“I generally recommend prioritizing sleep, although I understand that this is not always possible, especially as a parent of four teenagers,” says Christian Benedict, associate professor and sleep researcher in the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences. from Uppsala University and principal investigator behind the study.

Link between sleep deprivation and type 2 diabetes

He and a team of researchers looked at the link between type 2 diabetes and lack of sleep. Type 2 diabetes affects the body’s ability to process sugar (glucose), which insulin absorption and leading to high blood sugar. A 2020 report showed that more than 462 million people suffer from this condition. Over time, it can cause serious damage, particularly to nerves and blood vessels, and thus represents a growing public health problem globally.

Christian Benedict, associate professor and sleep researcher at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences at Uppsala University and lead researcher behind the study. Credit: Tobias Sterner

“Previous research has shown that repeated short daily rest increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, while healthy eating habits, such as regular consumption of fruits and vegetables, can reduce the risk. However, it is still unclear whether people who sleep too little can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by eating healthily,” notes Diana Noga, sleep researcher at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences at Uppsala University. .

Results of a British Biobank study

So the researchers used data from one of the world’s largest population databases, the UK Biobank, in which almost half a million British participants were genetically mapped and answered health questions and lifestyle. They followed the participants for more than ten years and found that sleep duration between three and five hours was linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In contrast, healthy eating habits reduced the risk of developing the disease, but even people who ate healthily but slept less than six hours a day still had a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

“Our results are the first to question whether a healthy diet can compensate for lack of sleep in terms of type 2 diabetes risk. They should not cause concern, but rather be seen as a reminder that sleep plays a important role in health,” explains Benoît.

He also argues that the effects of sleep deprivation vary from individual to individual, depending on aspects such as genetics and a person’s actual need for sleep.

Reference: “Habitual short sleep duration, diet and development of type 2 diabetes in adults” by Diana Aline Nôga, Elisa de Mello e Souza Meth, André Pekkola Pacheco, Xiao Tan, Jonathan Cedernaes, Lieve Thecla van Egmond, Pei Xue and Christian Benoît, March 5, 2024, Open JAMA Network.
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.1147