Could Better Sleep Help Prevent Diabetes?

Did you know that when you get less than 6 hours of sleep a day, it can raise your blood sugar and increase your risk of type 2 diabetes? This is an important factor to consider if you are in the prediabetes stage.

Prediabetes is the stage before being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Though this is a concerning stage to be in, it is easier to get out of this stage than to be diagnosed with diabetes. This stage is characterized by your blood sugar levels being higher than what they should be. Fortunately, some small lifestyle changes, whether it is your diet, movement, or sleep, can often help avoid the development of type 2 diabetes. Sleep is something that everyone often overlooks, yet it is crucial for our daily functioning. Though many people don’t know that it also has a cause and effect on our blood sugar levels. So why does sleep matter?

3 Reasons to Get Better Sleep

1. Sleep Affects Your Hormones

When you don’t give your body enough rest, there are changes in your hormones that regulate energy. Hunger hormones will only increase more when you are regularly getting 6 hours of sleep or less; in cause, you are snacking more during the day and night. 

2. Poor Sleep Causes Insulin Resistance

Insulin overall has a role in moving sugar from your blood into your cells that your body uses as energy. When you are not getting enough sleep, your insulin sensitivity decreases. This causes your blood sugar to increase and your cells will not use all of the sugar from your food as energy.

3. Lack of Sleep Causes Weight Gain and Increases Cravings

It was found that when people got 5 nights of 4 hours of sleep, their cortisol levels, glucose, and insulin levels all skyrocketed. When there is a lack of sleep, there is an increase in stress hormones, resulting in you craving more sugary foods. The sugary foods and the lack of sleep are then keeping your blood sugar high, contributing to the risk of developing diabetes. 

Tips for Getting Better Sleep

• Avoid screen time 1 hour before bed.
• Try relaxing activities such as reading, coloring, stretching or even deep breathing.
• Create a solid bedtime routine; maybe that includes spraying lavender in your room or turning the lights off 30 minutes before bed.
• Consider some melatonin supplements or even magnesium glycinate to improve sleep.

Final Takeaway: Better Sleep Can Mean Better Health

Sleep is not always about not feeling tired and groggy during the next day. It is a tool that can strengthen your health, shown by assisting in preventing type 2 diabetes and balancing your blood sugars. When you are getting an average 4-6 hours of sleep, it causes your body stress and makes your hormones shift, causing you to have increased cravings, hunger, and insulin resistance. Your body is meant to use sugar for energy, but instead, it would just cause your blood sugar to continuously stay high. When it does stay high consistently, it increases your risk of type 2 diabetes. The good news is that sleep is a tool that can be controlled and changed over time. Once that change is made, you are going to see a positive difference in how you are feeling. 

If you start following these tips, you have that chance to support your blood sugar in getting back to where it needs to be and fixing your hormones. Choosing to sleep is critical for a long, healthy life.

References:

Antza, C., Kostopoulos, G., Mostafa, S., Nirantharakumar, K., & Tahrani, A. (2021). The links between sleep duration, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Endocrinology, 252(2), 125–141. https://doi.org/10.1530/joe-21-0155

Kianersi, S., Wang, H., Sofer, T., Noordam, R., Phillips, A., Rutter, M. K., Redline, S., & Huang, T. (2024). Association between Accelerometer-Measured irregular sleep duration and Type 2 Diabetes Risk: A Prospective cohort Study in the UK Biobank. Diabetes Care, 47(9), 1647–1655. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc24-0213

Rao, R., Somvanshi, P., Klerman, E. B., Marmar, C., & Doyle, F. J. (2021). Modeling the Influence of Chronic Sleep Restriction on Cortisol Circadian Rhythms, with Implications for Metabolic Disorders. Metabolites, 11(8), 483. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11080483