Irregular sleep can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to a third, experts warn, stressing the importance of a good night’s rest.
Researchers in Boston, US, found that those with more erratic sleep patterns were more likely to be diagnosed with the disease later in life.
They now plan to study why the internal body clock is so closely linked to diabetes and whether this could lead to new treatments.
Lead researcher Professor Sina Kianersi, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: ‘Our study identified a modifiable lifestyle factor that may help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
‘Our findings underscore the importance of maintaining consistent sleep patterns as a strategy to reduce type 2 diabetes.’
People whose sleep duration varied by more than one hour each day had a 34 percent higher risk of developing the disease.
Lead researcher Professor Sina Kianersi, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: “Our findings underline the importance of having consistent sleep patterns as a strategy to reduce type 2 diabetes.”
The study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, looked at more than 84,000 people in the UK with an average age of 62.
They wore smart watches that monitored their movements for seven nights and their health was monitored for seven years, tracking the development of diabetes through medical records.
The data revealed that compared with people with regular sleep patterns, those with irregular sleep were more likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes.
People whose sleep duration varied by more than one hour each day had a 34 percent higher risk of developing the disease.
The risk was slightly reduced, but not eliminated, in people without underlying health problems or a family history of diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes affects nearly 500 million people worldwide and is one of the top ten causes of death and disability.
The number of people with type 2 diabetes is estimated to more than double to 1.3 billion by 2050.
The researchers now plan to study people from younger age groups and diverse racial backgrounds, and explore the biological reasons why sleep irregularity increases diabetes risk.
Professor Kianersi said: ‘Our findings have the potential to improve diabetes prevention on multiple levels.
‘Clinically, they could guide patient care and treatment plans. Public health guidelines could promote regular sleep patterns.
“However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanism and confirm the results in other populations.”
Last month, an alarming report revealed that the NHS spends £6bn a year on diabetes-related complications such as amputations and blindness.
Diabetes UK warned that many of the problems are preventable and called on the health service to shift its focus “from crisis to preventative care”.
The charity estimates that more than 4.4 million people in the UK are living with diabetes and a further 1.2 million may have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity.
Every week, diabetes causes 2,990 cases of heart failure, more than 930 strokes, 660 heart attacks and 184 amputations.