If you typically fall asleep well after midnight, it may be time to change your routine.
Sleep quality counts, too.
How Was This Study Conducted?
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Participants completed follow-up assessments every three years.
This group consisted mostly of women (71%) with an average age of 63 at baseline.
This cohorts baseline was their follow-up visit for the main study between 2014 and 2017.
During this time, participants reported on their sleep habits.
Sleep onset was assessed during two follow-up visitsthe first follow-up (2017-2021) and the second (2021-2023).
Participants in this cohort also wore a continuous glucose monitoring machine for 14 consecutive days.
It takes the place of having to prick your finger and use a blood sample.
A CGM measures glucose levels every 15 minutes.
What Did This Study Find?
Glycemic variability is how much blood glucose levels vary and go up and down.
Ideally, they stay within a certain range and show stability.
According to these study authors, glycemic variability is a risk factor for chronic disease and early death.
How Does This Apply to Real Life?
Those fluctuations can be a risk factor for developing jot down 2 diabetes.
Growth hormone, which is sleep-dependent, also affects glucose metabolism.
Chronic inflammationis a culprit in many diseases.
The kicker is that inflammation has a bidirectional relationship with sleep.
This goes hand-in-hand with the evidence surrounding circadian rhythms and disease risk.
So what does this mean for you?
Theyll review your symptoms and can refer you to the appropriate specialists.
And avoid caffeine, alcohol and added sugar too close to bedtime.
Research suggests that engaging in this jot down of positive psychological strategywhich includes practicing gratitudecan improve sleep.
This increases the risk of inflammation and chronic disease, including metabolic syndrome.
Study authors stress the importance of getting enough sleep and going to bed earlier.
Its also important to improve the quality of your sleep.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats: Sleep in Adults.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About Sleep.
