"Night owls" are more likely to suffer from diabetes than "early birds"
A new discovery by researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in the United States shows that compared with those who have the habit of getting up early, those who sleep late and get up late have a 19% increased risk of diabetes. The relevant research is published in the new issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Sleep type or circadian rhythm preference refers to a person's preferred sleeping and waking times. Some people are "early birds" who like to go to bed and wake up early, while others are "night owls" who like to go to bed and wake up late. Researchers say that this is to some extent determined by genes, so it may be difficult to change. But those who think they are "night owls" should pay more attention to their lifestyle, because this type of sleep may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Previous studies have found that people who sleep more irregularly have a higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while people who sleep late and get up late are more likely to have irregular sleep patterns.
This time, the team analyzed the data of 63676 female nurses collected from Nurses' Health Study II from 2009 to 2017, including self-reported sleep type, diet quality, weight and body mass index, sleep time, smoking behavior, alcohol consumption, physical activity and diabetes family history. The research team determined the health status of participants based on their self-report and medical records.
After considering various lifestyle factors, the study found that late sleep and late rise were associated with a 19% increased risk of diabetes. In addition, only 6% of people with the healthiest lifestyle belong to the type of staying up late and getting up late. Among those with the least healthy lifestyle, 25% are late to bed and late to wake up.
The study also found that people who sleep late and wake up late are more likely to have higher alcohol consumption, lower dietary quality, less sleep time per night, and smoke at least one cigarette per day, and their weight, BMI, and physical activity rate are in an unhealthy range.