Irregular sleep may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes by up to a third, experts have warned — highlighting the importance of a good night’s rest.
Researchers in Boston, US, found those with the most erratic sleep patterns had the highest chance of being diagnosed with the condition later in life.
They now plan to study why the internal body clock is so closely linked to diabetes, and whether it could lead to new treatments.
Lead researcher Professor Sina Kianersi, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: ‘Our study identified a modifiable lifestyle factor that can help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
‘Our findings underscore the importance of consistent sleep patterns as a strategy to reduce type 2 diabetes.’
People whose sleep length varied by more than an hour each day had a 34 per cent higher risk of developing the condition
Lead researcher Professor Sina Kianersi, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: ‘Our findings underscore the importance of consistent sleep patterns as a strategy to reduce type 2 diabetes.’
The study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, looked at more than 84,000 people in the UK with an average age of 62.
They wore smart watches that monitored their movement for seven nights and their health was monitored for seven years, tracking diabetes development through medical records.
The data revealed that, compared to people with regular sleep patterns, those with irregular sleep were more likely to come down with type 2 diabetes.
People whose sleep length varied by more than an hour each day had a 34 per cent higher risk of developing the condition.
The risk was slightly reduced, but not eliminated, in people with no underlying health problems or family history of diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes affects nearly half a billion people worldwide and is one of the top ten leading causes of death and disability.
The number of people with type 2 diabetes is expected to more than double to 1.3 billion by 2050.
The researchers now plan to study people from younger age groups and with diverse racial backgrounds, and explore the biological reasons for why sleep irregularity increases the risk of diabetes.
Professor Kianersi said: ‘Our findings have the potential to improve diabetes prevention on multiple levels.
‘Clinically, they might inform better patient care and treatment plans. Public health guidelines could promote regular sleep patterns.
‘However, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanism and confirm the results in other populations.’
Last month, an alarming report revealed the NHS is spending £6billion a year on complications linked to diabetes, such as amputations and blindness.
Diabetes UK warned many of the issues are avoidable and called on the health service to shift its focus ‘from crisis to preventative care’.
The charity estimates that more than 4.4 million people in the UK are living with diabetes, and a further 1.2 million could have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity.
Every week, diabetes leads to 2,990 cases of heart failure, more than 930 strokes, 660 heart attacks and 184 amputations.
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