Diabetes: what is the link between sleep and blood sugar?

Lack of sleep increases your risk of diabetes. Researchers at the University of Berkeley, California sought to explain the link between blood sugar and sleep. According to their conclusions published in the journal Cell Reports Medicinebrain waves, caused by deep sleep, affect our insulin sensitivity.

Brain waves affecting blood sugar levels

“These synchronized brain waves act like a finger touching the first domino to trigger a chain reaction from the brain to the heart, ultimately changing the body’s blood sugar regulation.“, explains Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience at UC Berkeley and lead author of this new study. He cites two specific types of brain waves associated with this process, called sleep spindles and slow waves. Their presence predicts an increase of the body’s sensitivity to insulin, thereby reducing blood sugar levels.

This research is based on a 2021 study carried out on mice. For their new work, researchers at the University of Berkeley analyzed the sleep of 600 people. They found that this specific set of brain waves combined with deep sleep predicted next-day blood sugar control, even after accounting for other factors such as age, gender, duration and quality. sleep. “This particular coupling of brain waves to deep sleep was more predictive than an individual’s sleep duration or efficiency.”adds Raphael Vallat, co-author of the study.

The link between blood sugar and brain waves is done in several stages

The scientists then explored the sequence of reactions in the body to understand how these waves emitted by the brain can affect blood sugar levels. They discovered a series of steps that explain this phenomenon. First, more frequent and stronger coupling of brain waves linked to deep sleep was associated with activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, synonymous with calming and minimal stress. It was the measurement of the participants’ heart rate that allowed them to make this observation. In addition, activation of this part of the nervous system was associated with an increase in the body’s sensitivity to insulin. The researchers then confirmed their various results by analyzing a group of 1,900 participants.

Sleep could be a new treatment for type 2 diabetes

The authors of the study believe that this discovery could play an important role in the management of diabetes. “Diabetes treatments, already on the market, can sometimes be difficult for patients to follow, they notice. The same goes for recommended lifestyle changes, including different eating habits and regular exercise..” On the other hand, acting on sleep seems much simpler. This could, on the one hand, become additional advice that doctors give to their patients, and on the other hand, lead to more in-depth research. The team of Researchers hope for the emergence of new technologies that could safely modify brain waves during deep sleep in order to regulate blood sugar levels.