Sweet Sleep Staves Off Diabetes

sleep and diabetes Med Headlines - The merits of a good night’s sleep were the subject of a study led by University of Chicago’s Dr. Ersa Tasali. Of particular interest to researchers was the connection between a good night’s sleep and the body’s ability to metabolize insulin.

When in a state of deep sleep, measured by electrical impulses in the brain moving in long, slow delta waves, a sleeper’s metabolism changes. Study subjects were not allowed to maintain this sleep state during several nights. Instead, they were awakened with a loud bang whenever this sleep state had been reached.

Tests of blood sugar and glucose levels taken during the day revealed that the study participants were becoming less sensitive to insulin. Such an insensitivity can lead to major medical issues such as high levels of blood sugars, excessive weight gain, and, most dangerous of all, type 2 diabetes.

It has long been known that diabetic patients experience sleep disturbances. What had not been known was which came first - the diabetes or the sleep problems.

While the study does not answer that question exactly, it does suggest that controlling sleep disturbances while still healthy may prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in people otherwise prone to develop the condition.

Full details of the report were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Filed under: Diabetes, Medical Research, Prevention, Sleep