Late-night sleepers face 50% greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes

Staying up late increases Type 2 diabetes risk by nearly 50 per cent and is associated with higher BMI, larger waist circumference, and more visceral and liver fat

People who stay up late are nearly 50 per cent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes compared to those who go to bed earlier. They also tend to have higher body mass indexes (BMI), larger waist circumferences, and greater amounts of hidden fat, such as visceral and liver fat, which are linked to metabolic problems.

The research, which has yet to be published, will be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Madrid, Spain.

The study, led by Jeroen van der Velde of Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, examined the relationship between sleep patterns, body fat distribution, and diabetes risk.

Lifestyle factors

Earlier studies have suggested that individuals who stay up late tend to engage in unhealthy habits, such as smoking and poor dietary choices. However, recent research shows that these lifestyle factors alone do not fully account for the heightened risk of Type 2 diabetes among night owls.

In India, Type 2 diabetes is one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases, affecting over 100 million people. This chronic condition occurs when the body fails to use insulin efficiently, resulting in elevated blood sugar levels. It is commonly associated with obesity, physical inactivity, and an unhealthy diet.

The study examined data from more than 5,000 participants as part of the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study. With an average age of 56, participants shared information about their sleep habits, allowing researchers to categorise them into early, intermediate, and late chronotypes based on their natural sleep-wake patterns.

Chronotype classifications

Chronotype classifications divide individuals according to their natural sleep-wake cycles and habits. These groups include early chronotypes (who tend to wake up and go to bed earlier than most), intermediate chronotypes (who follow a moderate schedule, falling between early and late risers), and late chronotypes (who prefer staying awake until late at night and sleeping in later in the morning).

These groups highlight variations in personal internal clocks and daily rhythms. Measurements were taken for BMI, waist circumference, and body fat percentage, and MRI scans were used to evaluate visceral and liver fat in a select group of participants.

During a follow-up period of 6.6 years, 225 participants were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Individuals with a late chronotype exhibited a 46 per cent increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those with an intermediate chronotype, even when accounting for variables such as age, physical activity, and sleep quality. Additionally, those with a late chronotype had higher BMI, larger waist circumferences, and increased levels of visceral and liver fat.

Velde suggested lifestyle modifications, including refraining from late-night eating and considering time-restricted eating, as potential methods to enhance metabolic health for those with a late chronotype.

Ongoing research aims to further explore how the timing of lifestyle habits affects the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

(With agency inputs)