
A new study has shown that people with diabetes who have difficulties sleeping, have higher levels of blood glucose and experience greater difficulty in controlling their hyperglycemia.
But, it is still unknown if diabetes causes the problems with sleep OR if the problems with sleep cause the higher levels of blood glucose.
The take-home message for those with diabetes is to pay attention to their sleep quality, agreed both Dr.Joel Zonszein, director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. and study leader Kristen Knutsonan, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. "If no sleep studies have been done, they might want to ask their doctor [about doing some],'" Zonszein said.
In a related study, people who stay up late INSTEAD of sleeping, may be more likely to eat excess calories and have a higher body mass index (BMI), putting themselves at risk for developing Type II Diabetes. Instead of going to bed at a normal hour, these people tend to eat far more fast food and significantly less fruits and vegetables.
Dr. Phyllis Zee, MD., who participated in the research noted that"When sleep and eating are not aligned with the body's internal clock, it can lead to changes in appetite and metabolism, which could lead to weight gain."