Impact of insufficient sleep on dysregulated blood glucose control under standardised meal conditions

Diabetologia. 2022 Feb;65(2):356-365. doi: 10.1007/s00125-021-05608-y. Epub 2021 Nov 30.

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis: Sleep, diet and exercise are fundamental to metabolic homeostasis. In this secondary analysis of a repeated measures, nutritional intervention study, we tested whether an individual's sleep quality, duration and timing impact glycaemic response to a breakfast meal the following morning.

Methods: Healthy adults' data (N = 953 [41% twins]) were analysed from the PREDICT dietary intervention trial. Participants consumed isoenergetic standardised meals over 2 weeks in the clinic and at home. Actigraphy was used to assess sleep variables (duration, efficiency, timing) and continuous glucose monitors were used to measure glycaemic variation (>8000 meals).

Results: Sleep variables were significantly associated with postprandial glycaemic control (2 h incremental AUC), at both between- and within-person levels. Sleep period time interacted with meal type, with a smaller effect of poor sleep on postprandial blood glucose levels when high-carbohydrate (low fat/protein) (pinteraction = 0.02) and high-fat (pinteraction = 0.03) breakfasts were consumed compared with a reference 75 g OGTT. Within-person sleep period time had a similar interaction (high carbohydrate: pinteraction = 0.001, high fat: pinteraction = 0.02). Within- and between-person sleep efficiency were significantly associated with lower postprandial blood glucose levels irrespective of meal type (both p < 0.03). Later sleep midpoint (time deviation from midnight) was found to be significantly associated with higher postprandial glucose, in both between-person and within-person comparisons (p = 0.035 and p = 0.051, respectively).

Conclusions/interpretation: Poor sleep efficiency and later bedtime routines are associated with more pronounced postprandial glycaemic responses to breakfast the following morning. A person's deviation from their usual sleep pattern was also associated with poorer postprandial glycaemic control. These findings underscore sleep as a modifiable, non-pharmacological therapeutic target for the optimal regulation of human metabolic health. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03479866.

Keywords: Diet; Metabolic health; Person-centring; Postprandial glucose; Sleep.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism*
  • Breakfast*
  • Diet*
  • Female
  • Glycemic Control
  • Glycemic Index
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Postprandial Period / physiology
  • Sleep Deprivation / blood*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Blood Glucose

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03479866