One night of poor sleep is equivalent to six months of poor diet, study says
A new research shows that one night of poor sleep impairs insulin sensitivity as much as six months of a high-fat diet.
When the body becomes less sensitive to insulin (insulin resistance), the body needs to produce more insulin to keep blood sugar levels stable. Severe insulin resistance may lead to Type 2 diabetes.
The study was conducted by Josiane Broussard, PhD, and colleagues from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. The findings will be presented during a poster presentation on Thursday, Nov. 5, at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.
Researchers measured insulin sensitivity in eight male dogs before and after diet-induced obesity. Prior to the high-fat feeding, researchers used an IV glucose tolerance test to measure insulin sensitivity in dogs that had one night of sleep deprivation, and compared results to dogs that had a normal night’s sleep.
The dogs were then fed a high-fat diet for six months, at which point they were tested again. Prior to the high-fat diet, one night of sleep deprivation reduced insulin sensitivity by 33%; this reduction was similar to the reduction caused by a high-fat diet alone (21%). Once the dogs had impaired insulin sensitivity from the high-fat diet, one night of sleep deprivation did not further impair the insulin sensitivity.
“One night of sleep deprivation and six months of a high-fat diet both reduced insulin sensitivity by a similar degree in canines; however, there was no additive effect of sleep loss and high-fat diet,” continued Dr. Broussard. “This may suggest a similar mechanism by which both insufficient sleep and a high-fat diet induce insulin resistance. It could also mean that after high-fat feeding, insulin sensitivity cannot be reduced further by sleep loss.”
In addition to impaired insulin sensitivity, sleep deprivation can lead to increased food intake and overall increased risk for metabolic diseases.
According to Dr. Broussard, future research should examine the pathways that may account for the interactions between sleep and diet and their relationship to insulin sensitivity. It will also be important to determine whether insulin sensitivity is improved after recovery sleep, which is beginning to be addressed in clinical studies.
These types of basic science studies and canine models are critical in helping to understand the causes and complications of obesity and to identify mechanisms that lead to its prevention or cure.
