Sleep disruptions may up diabetes risk

[one...two...tree 2,762]

WASHINGTON - When Shakespeare called sleep the "chief nourisher of life's feast," he may have been well ahead of his time, medically at least. Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center report that disrupting sleep damages the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels, potentially raising the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

More than 18 million Americans have diabetes and the most common form is type 2, in which the body either becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't produce enough of it to regulate sugar in the bloodstream.

In a small experiment, researchers led by Dr. Esra Tasali, an assistant professor of medicine, found that disrupting the deepest sleep periods of volunteers rapidly resulted in reduction in their ability to regulate blood-sugar levels.

The findings are reported in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers studied the sleep patterns of nine volunteers, five men and four women, all of normal weight, in good health and aged 20 to 31.

Normal sleep is divided into several stages, with the so-called slow-wave sleep considered the deepest.

Whenever the volunteers went into slow-wave sleep the researchers made noise — enough to disturb the sleep though not to fully awaken them.

After just three days the ability of the volunteers to regulate blood sugar was reduced by 25 percent, the researchers reported.

Earlier studies have indicated that lack of sleep can reduce the ability to regulate sugar, and this report adds evidence that poor sleep quality is also a diabetes risk.

"This decrease in slow-wave sleep resembles the changes in sleep patterns caused by 40 years of aging," Tasali said in a statement. Young adults spend 80 to 100 minutes per night in slow-wave sleep, while people over age 60 generally have less than 20 minutes. "In this experiment," she said, "we gave people in their 20s the sleep of those in their 60s."

"Since reduced amounts of deep sleep are typical of aging and of common obesity-related sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, these results suggest that strategies to improve sleep quality, as well as quantity, may help to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in populations at risk," said co-author Dr. Eve Van Cauter, a professor of medicine.

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On the Net:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: http://www.pnas.org

Edited December 31, 2007 by Mister Fancypants

[Jesse and Hema 2]

The root of medical research:

Everything increases the risk of something...

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Lack of sleep is linked to many ailments. Including weakening the immune system.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

More evidence why I never understood how so many people put sleep as their lowest priority. Further, why are people who try to get theirs called lazy?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

More evidence why I never understood how so many people put sleep as their lowest priority. Further, why are people who try to get theirs called lazy?

Effin-A! I hate that.

[Fandango 1,440]

I remember my last week at uni was so hellish that I wound up not sleeping for like 4 or 5 nights. I was so ill at the end of it, I almost wound up in the hospital.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Steve, get some sleep.

[peejay 327]

In my 24+ years working in the US Gulf of Mexico oil industry I have had more than my fair share of sleep depravation. We work 12 hour shifts, but are subject to 24 hour call out while we are on location. It can be a killer. My alltime record of zero sleep without a catnap is 37 hours running around on deck working. When I finally layed down to sleep my whole body felt like it was vibrating. It took several days to get over the abuse I did to my body. I've pulled many, many 18 to 24 hour shifts in my career. I don't like to do it...even though the extra $$$ are good after I get home.

I sometimes have to swap over to nightshift and it is very disruptive to the body clock. I've always hated nightshift because I'm a daytime person. I get terrible insomnia when I switch back and forth between days and nights. I've quit jobs because of it and prefer dayshift all the time. I can deal with the occassional callouts in the middle of the night.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

In my 24+ years working in the US Gulf of Mexico oil industry I have had more than my fair share of sleep depravation. We work 12 hour shifts, but are subject to 24 hour call out while we are on location. It can be a killer. My alltime record of zero sleep without a catnap is 37 hours running around on deck working. When I finally layed down to sleep my whole body felt like it was vibrating. It took several days to get over the abuse I did to my body. I've pulled many, many 18 to 24 hour shifts in my career. I don't like to do it...even though the extra $$$ are good after I get home.

I sometimes have to swap over to nightshift and it is very disruptive to the body clock. I've always hated nightshift because I'm a daytime person. I get terrible insomnia when I switch back and forth between days and nights. I've quit jobs because of it and prefer dayshift all the time. I can deal with the occassional callouts in the middle of the night.

I used to be a rough neck in Montana. Going to work wasnt an option You went no matter what.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

Yes, but forcing people to work in that condition should be illegal. Companies don't want you working intoxicated or under the influence becasue this altered state of mind is a huge risk. Forcing people to work sleepy is just as dangerous of a condition. There should be laws mandating minimum rest between shifts. Sleep deprivation is not only unhealthy, it can kill. Last I heard, slavery was abolished a few years ago.

In my 24+ years working in the US Gulf of Mexico oil industry I have had more than my fair share of sleep depravation. We work 12 hour shifts, but are subject to 24 hour call out while we are on location. It can be a killer. My alltime record of zero sleep without a catnap is 37 hours running around on deck working. When I finally layed down to sleep my whole body felt like it was vibrating. It took several days to get over the abuse I did to my body. I've pulled many, many 18 to 24 hour shifts in my career. I don't like to do it...even though the extra $$ are good after I get home.

I sometimes have to swap over to nightshift and it is very disruptive to the body clock. I've always hated nightshift because I'm a daytime person. I get terrible insomnia when I switch back and forth between days and nights. I've quit jobs because of it and prefer dayshift all the time. I can deal with the occassional callouts in the middle of the night.

I used to be a rough neck in Montana. Going to work wasnt an option You went no matter what.