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A new study conducted by researchers at the Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine in China has found that inadequate sleep duration and late sleep onset are associated with increased glycemic variability in adults. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, highlight the potential role of sleep in diabetes prevention and management.
Sleep and Blood Sugar Regulation
Blood sugar regulation is essential for metabolic health, with fluctuations in glucose levels linked to diabetes complications. While prior research has established a connection between insufficient sleep and impaired glucose metabolism, the long-term impact of sleep patterns on glycemic variability has remained largely unexplored.
To address this gap, researchers tracked sleep trajectories over multiple years to assess their effects on blood glucose regulation. The study, titled “Trajectories of Sleep Duration, Sleep Onset Timing, and Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Adults”, examined 1,156 participants aged 46 to 83 from the ongoing Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study, a community-based cohort in Guangdong, China.
Key Findings
Participants underwent self-reported sleep assessments across multiple visits and wore continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices for 14 consecutive days to record real-time blood glucose fluctuations. The researchers identified four distinct sleep duration groups:
- Severe inadequate sleep (4.7 to 4.1 hours per night)
- Moderate inadequate sleep (6.0 to 5.5 hours per night)
- Mild inadequate sleep (7.2 to 6.8 hours per night)
- Adequate sleep (8.4 to 8.0 hours per night)
Additionally, two sleep onset timing groups were identified: persistent early sleep onset and persistent late sleep onset.
The Impact on Blood Glucose Levels
CGM data analysis revealed significant variations in blood sugar stability across different sleep patterns:
- Individuals in the severe inadequate sleep group exhibited a 2.87% increase in glycemic variability (coefficient of variation, CV) and a 0.06 mmol/L rise in mean daily glucose fluctuations (MODD) compared to those in the adequate sleep group.
- Participants in the late sleep onset group had a 1.18% greater glycemic variability and a 0.02 mmol/L increase in MODD.
- Those experiencing both short sleep duration and late sleep onset had even greater glycemic variability, suggesting a compounded effect on blood sugar regulation.
Implications for Diabetes Prevention
The study’s results indicate that long-term inadequate sleep duration and delayed sleep onset contribute to greater blood glucose fluctuations and potential metabolic dysregulation. This underscores the importance of maintaining sufficient sleep duration and adopting earlier sleep onset as a potential strategy for optimizing glycemic control and mitigating diabetes-related risks.
More Information
For further details, refer to the original study: Luqi Shen et al, Trajectories of Sleep Duration, Sleep Onset Timing, and Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Adults, JAMA Network Open (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0114.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making any changes to your sleep habits or diabetes management plan.
