People who go to bed late, often known as “night owls,” are nearly 50% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those who sleep earlier. This group also tends to have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI), larger waistlines, and more hidden body fat, including visceral and liver fat, which contribute to metabolic health issues.
The study, which will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Madrid, Spain, was led by Dr. Jeroen van der Velde from Leiden University Medical Centre, Netherlands. It explored the link between sleep timing, body fat distribution, and diabetes risk.
While previous research suggested that late sleepers are more prone to unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking and poor diet, this study found that lifestyle alone does not fully account for the increased risk of type 2 diabetes in night owls.
Type 2 diabetes is a prevalent non-communicable disease in India, affecting over 100 million people. It is a chronic condition where the body fails to properly use insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels, often associated with obesity, inactivity, and poor diet.
The study analysed data from over 5,000 participants in the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study, who had an average age of 56. Participants’ sleep habits were classified into early, intermediate, and late chronotype groups:
- Early Chronotypes: Prefer waking up and going to bed early.
- Intermediate Chronotypes: Maintain a balanced sleep schedule.
- Late Chronotypes: Prefer staying up late and waking up later.
These chronotypes reflect individual differences in internal body clocks and daily rhythms. The study also measured participants’ BMI, waist size, and body fat levels, and used MRI scans to assess visceral and liver fat in a subset of participants.
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Over a follow-up period of 6.6 years, 225 participants developed type 2 diabetes. The research found that those with a late chronotype had a 46% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to the intermediate group, even after adjusting for factors like age, physical activity, and sleep quality. They also exhibited higher BMI, larger waistlines, and more visceral and liver fat.
Dr. van der Velde suggests that circadian misalignment, resulting from the mismatch between an individual’s body clock and societal schedules, might contribute to metabolic disturbances and type 2 diabetes. He recommends lifestyle changes such as avoiding late-night eating and considering time-restricted eating as potential strategies to improve metabolic health for night owls.
Further research is ongoing to explore how lifestyle timing affects type 2 diabetes risk.