Research Links Sleep Deprivation to Diabetes

I couldn't really think of any reason why I might have diabetes at my last eye exam. Nevertheless, it was getting harder and harder to correct my nearsighted vision. It was impossible to get to 20/20, either with glasses or contacts.

Somewhat overweight for most of my life, I never crossed the 200-pound line. And in 2007, I lost 55 pounds, dropping to a svelte size 6 wardrobe. Although some distant relatives had suffered from diabetes, there was no known incidence of the disease with my parents or grandparents. I was also an only child.

When I got home, I opened an email that caused me to think of another reason why I should be tested. According to a posting on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) site, a new study suggests short sleep duration, an epidemic in our culture, is a culprit in the wave of diabetes sweeping the United States.

The results add another piece to a puzzle that has already identified two big chunks: decreased physical activity and eating highly processed (and yummy) foods.

The AASM cites the results of a sleep study published in the December 1, 2007 issue of the journal SLEEP. This publication is the official journal of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC, which is a join venture of the Sleep Research Study and the AASM.

Headed by James Gangwisch, PhD, of Columbia University, this study sought to track the relationships between the length of sleep and a diabetes diagnosis in nearly 9,000 subjects. These individuals were between 32 and 86 and were tracked between 1982 and 1992 as a follow up to an initial National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

During the follow-up period, two groups of patients proved significantly more disposed to experience an incidence of diabetes than subjects who reported sleeping an average of seven hours. Those at risk included individuals who slept five hours or less as well as those who said they slept nine hours or longer, according to the AASM.