Abstract
BackgroundThe incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been increasing in recent years. Sleep loss and circadian rhythm abnormalities are thought to be one of the underlying causes of adverse metabolic health. However, little is known about sleep-wake cycle irregularities in T2DM. The present study compared the bedtime, waking time, and estimated sleep duration between T2DM and non-T2DM subjects.MethodsThe study subjects were 106 consecutive outpatients with lifestyle-related diseases (males/females = 56/50), who answered a questionnaire on sleep status. Subjects were divided into two groups; non-T2DM (n = 32) and T2DM (n = 74) subjects.ResultsT2DM subjects retired to bed on weekdays and holidays significantly later than non-T2DM subjects (23:43 versus 22:52, p = 0.0032; 23:45 versus 22:53, p = 0.0038, respectively), and woke up significantly later on weekdays and holidays, compared with non-T2DM subjects (06:39 versus 06:08, p = 0.0325; 06:58 versus 06:24, p = 0.0450, respectively). There was no significant difference in the estimated sleep duration between the two groups. Daytime sleepiness was reported significantly more commonly by T2DM subjects than non-T2DM subjects (p = 0.0195).ConclusionsSleep-wake cycle irregularities are more common in T2DM subjects than non-T2DM. Confirmation that such irregularity plays a role in the metabolic abnormalities of T2DM requires further investigation in the future.Trial registrationUMIN 000002998
Highlights
The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been increasing in recent years
The endogenous circadian clock, including the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus and peripheral oscillators in vital organs, regulates much of our physiology and behavior across the 24-h day when it is properly aligned with the sleep-wake cycle
The SCN regulates the circadian rhythms in glucose, corticosteroids, leptin and cardiovascular systems through neural and/or humoral signals to the pancreas, liver, adrenal glands, adipose tissues and heart [8]
Summary
The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been increasing in recent years. Little is known about sleep-wake cycle irregularities in T2DM. The incidence of T2DM has been increasing recently mainly due to changes in lifestyle, such as over-eating, physical inactivity, and sleep deprivation. The recent dramatic increase in the incidence of obesity and diabetes, and the close relationship between sleep cycles and diabetes [5], suggest detrimental deprivation of certain sleep stages [6,7]. The endogenous circadian clock, including the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus and peripheral oscillators in vital organs, regulates much of our physiology and behavior across the 24-h day when it is properly aligned with the sleep-wake cycle. Shift work is associated with chronic misalignment between the endogenous circadian timing system and behavioral cycles, including sleep-wake and fasting-feeding cycles [9,10]. Whether disruption of the sleep-wake pattern, i.e., sleep-wake cycle irregularity, relates to T2DM remains to be elucidated
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