Just One Night of Poor Sleep Can Raise Blood Sugar — an Early Sign of Diabetes
Just one night of insufficient sleep can lead to elevated blood sugar levels — one of the early signs of diabetes.
A new scientific study shows that a single night of poor sleep can negatively affect the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar to the same extent as six months of a high-fat diet. The research was conducted on dogs and once again proves how vital sleep is for metabolism.
Sleep Is More Than Just Rest
A good night’s sleep does more than simply relieve fatigue. It also helps prevent insulin resistance — a condition that often forms the basis of type 2 diabetes.
This conclusion comes from a new study conducted by researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
What Was Known Before — and What’s New
Scientists already knew that lack of sleep impairs the body’s ability to use glucose (blood sugar). Glucose is the primary energy source for cells.
However, this new study is the first to show that insufficient sleep and a high-fat diet affect the body through almost identical mechanisms.
In both cases:
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cells respond less effectively to insulin signals
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insulin resistance develops
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glucose accumulates in the bloodstream instead of entering the cells
If this process continues over time, serious conditions such as type 2 diabetes may develop.
How Was the Study Conducted?
One of the study’s authors, Josiane Broussard, is a sleep and metabolism specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She set out to investigate whether sleep deprivation and a high-fat diet have similar effects on the body.
Stages of the experiment:
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The study involved eight male dogs
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In the first phase, the dogs were deprived of sleep for one night
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Throughout the night, researchers gently kept the animals awake
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In the morning, a glucose tolerance test was performed
During this test:
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glucose was injected into the bloodstream
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blood sugar levels were measured over the following three hours
Under normal conditions, cells should absorb glucose quickly.
The Six-Month Diet Phase
Next, the dogs were fed a high-fat diet for six months. After this period:
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the dogs became overweight
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another glucose tolerance test was conducted
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an additional night of sleep deprivation was applied
What Did the Results Show?
Before the high-fat diet:
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just one sleepless night reduced glucose uptake by cells by 33%
After six months (when the dogs were overweight):
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even after a good night’s sleep, cells absorbed 21% less glucose
The most surprising finding was this:
in overweight dogs, an additional night of sleep deprivation did not further worsen the condition.
This suggests that sleep deprivation and obesity may damage the body in similar ways.
The study’s results were presented on November 5 at the annual meeting of The Obesity Society in Los Angeles.
Is Recovery Possible?
According to Broussard, it is still unclear how long these effects last. However, another study conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado offers hope:
In humans, three consecutive nights of good sleep appear to restore the body’s normal ability to use blood sugar.
Expert Opinion
Caroline Apovian, an obesity researcher at Boston University (who was not involved in the study), states:
“This research clearly shows how important sleep truly is.
Sleep is no less important for maintaining health than diet and exercise — and in some cases, it may be even more important.”
Greater Risk for Children and Adolescents
Scientists are particularly concerned about the effects of sleep deprivation in children and adolescents. At an early age, lack of sleep may:
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disrupt metabolism
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lead to earlier development of diseases such as diabetes
Conclusion
This study clearly demonstrates that:
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sleep deprivation is not just about feeling tired
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it directly affects metabolism
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it increases the risk of diabetes
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it poses a particularly serious threat to young people
A healthy lifestyle is not only about proper nutrition and physical activity — adequate sleep is an essential part of it.