Regular sleep is important for many aspects of your health, both physically and emotionally. But did you know it may also affect your blood sugar levels? For most people, a regular rhythm in sleep patterns and getting enough sleep leads to better blood sugar values.
But why is that? What are the factors that cause this? What is the circadian rhythm? And what happens if we do not sleep enough?
So many questions!
We’ve probably all experienced what it feels like to not get enough sleep at some point. It robs you of all zest, focus, and motivation. The US National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours per night for most people.¹ At age 65 and older, you may not need as much sleep. And of course, you should experiment and figure out what works best for you.
Sleep Affects Weight and Insulin Resistance
Ideally, the body gets a period of recovery and regeneration every night while you sleep.
Unfortunately, running yourself short during the week and then “catching up” on the weekend doesn’t cut it. Even a single night of partial sleep deprivation impacts insulin resistance.² ³
According to research, the risk for obesity increases by 17% and the risk for insulin resistance by 32% for every 30 minutes of daily sleep deprivation during weekdays.⁴
In addition, your pancreas produces less insulin when there’s a lack of sleep (this doesn’t apply to people living with type 1 diabetes as their pancreas doesn’t produce its own insulin at all. Feelings of hunger and cravings increase, and you don’t feel much like exercising or being active in general.
And as if that wasn’t enough, your body then tweaks your metabolic balance to burn fewer calories and store more fat.It’s a nasty downward spiral!
Sometimes you sleep for plenty of hours, but the quality of sleep is poor.
Have you ever felt too tired during the day, even though you’ve slept 7-9 hours?
The quality of your sleep may be the culprit!
A condition called sleep apnea is quite common and could be one thing negatively affecting the quality of your sleep.
Sleep apnea is characterized as pauses in breathing or instances of shallow breathing while sleeping.⁵
If you’re dealing with sleep apnea, you likely won’t sleep well, and your insulin requirements and sugar levels will increase dramatically. It’s so closely tied to blood sugar management that the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus even quadruples for those not already diagnosed with diabetes.⁶
Thankfully, there are many options available to treat sleep apnea and using a sleeping mask that regulates the breathing pressure, can help reduce the risk of sleep apnea.⁶ Be sure to ask your doctor or care team whether you should investigate it further.
Sufficient sleep is an important building block and a powerful tool for good diabetes management, as well as an advantage for those working to prevent type 2 diabetes.
A meta-analysis of studies that have been conducted around the world show that a sleep duration of less than 5-6 hours or more than 9 hours per night and/or problems sleeping through the night lead to a significant increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.⁷
What Is the Circadian Rhythm?
Your circadian rhythm is all of the different phases your body goes through within 24 hours.⁸
There are physiological rhythms such as the sleep-wake rhythm and body temperature, but also biorhythms such as the release of various hormones, including melatonin, cortisol, and growth hormones.⁸
These different rhythms are all synchronized with each other and controlled by our biological clock: the hypothalamus, a part of the brain.⁸
This is mainly controlled by light stimuli (blue light), which is sent to the brain via receptors in the eyes. Your entire metabolism, especially blood sugar management, is influenced by the hormones mentioned above!
When there are higher levels of growth hormone and cortisol in the blood, we need more insulin.This also happens when traveling to another time zone, when most of us are battling jet lag for the first few days until our circadian rhythm has adjusted.
Be especially mindful if you take insulin. Check blood sugars often and make adjustments as needed, it may take 2-3 days until your body has adjusted and isn’t cranking out extra hormones at all the wrong times.
The greater the time shift, the greater the impact on metabolism.
Talk to your doctor and care team before departing to get details about adjustments for your specific needs.
The Dawn Phenomenon
In the early morning hours, typically around 2-8 am, your body produces extra cortisol, growth hormone, adrenaline, and glucagon to get you ready for the day.⁹
For people with diabetes, this can cause rising blood sugar. The dawn phenomenon is especially common in children and adolescents who are growing rapidly, but also in some adults. If you notice this yourself, you may need to make adjustments in your plan to keep your blood sugar in your target range.
If you take insulin, you may need significantly more in the morning. If you do not manage your diabetes with insulin, meal and exercise timing or oral medications can help combat this.
Talk with your diabetes care team to find what will work best for you!
Foot on the Floor Syndrome
Another similar phenomenon is called “foot on the floor” syndrome and happens as soon as you wake up and get out of bed for the day.¹⁰
Maybe you’ve experienced it?
When you start moving around, your blood sugar is fine. You don’t eat anything at all, but your blood sugar will begin to rise. It happens due to quick changes in hormones that help our brains and bodies rev up for the day ahead. These hormones- cortisol, growth hormone, adrenaline, and glucagon - annoyingly also increase blood sugar!
Foot on the floor syndrome is often confused with the dawn phenomenon, but it is slightly different and usually requires a different approach to manage. Insulin needs can vary from person to person.¹⁰
As always, talk with your diabetes care team to find out what will work best for you.
Sources:
- Sleep Foundation, 2015. National Sleep Foundation Recommends New Sleep Times. [webpage] Available at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/press-release/national-sleep-foundation-recommends-new-sleep-times [Accessed: 21/01/2021].
- Medical News Today, 2015. Sleep well to avoid insulin resistance. [webpage] Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/301721 [Accessed: 21/01/2021].
- Donga, E., Dijk, M., Dijk, J.G., Biermasz, N.R., Lammers, G.J., Kralingen, K.W., Corssmit, E.P.M., Romijn, J.A., 2010. A single night of partial sleep deprivation induces insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways in healthy subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, [online] Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20371664/
- Duraccio, K.M., Krietsch, K.N., Chardon, M.L., Van Dyk, T.R., Beebe, D.W., 2019. Poor sleep and adolescent obesity risk: a narrative review of potential mechanisms. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6749827/
- Columbia University Department of Neurology, 2015. Sleep Apnea. [webpage] Available at: https://www.columbianeurology.org/neurology/staywell/sleep-apnea [Accessed: 21/01/2021].
- Botros, N., Concato, J., Mohsenin, V., Selim, B., Klar, H., 2009. Obstructive Sleep Apnea as a Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes. The American Journal of Medicine, [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002934309006792
- Cappuccio, F. P., D’Elia, L., Strazzullo, P., Miller, M. A., 2009. Quantity and Quality of Sleep and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes Care, [online] Available at: https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/33/2/414
- Sleep Foundation, 2020. Cardiac Rhythm. [webpage] Available at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm [Accessed: 21/01/2021].
- Mayo Clinic, 2020. The dawn phenomenon: What can you do? [webpage] Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-answers/dawn-effect/faq-20057937 [Accessed: 21/01/2021].
- Diabetes Strong, 2020. How to Avoid High Morning Blood Sugar. [webpage] Available at: https://diabetesstrong.com/how-to-avoid-high-morning-blood-sugars/ [Accessed: 21/01/2021].
The mySugr website does not provide medical or legal advice. mySugr blog articles are not scientific articles, but intended for informational purposes only.
Medical or nutritional information on the mySugr website is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a physician or health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
