Irregular weekday sleep linked to higher blood glucose, NUS study finds

SINGAPORE: A study by researchers at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore has found that cutting back on sleep during the week can disrupt how the body manages glucose, and that trying to make up for it on weekends does not reverse the effect.

The clinical trial involved 48 healthy adults aged 21 to 35. After two nights of proper rest, participants were divided into three groups reflecting common sleep habits.

One group was put on a pattern familiar to many office workers and students: six hours of sleep on weekdays, then eight hours on weekends. A second group also had eight hours on weekends, but their weekday sleep was deliberately erratic, anywhere between four and eight hours. The last group slept a steady eight hours every night.

When glucose tolerance was measured, the two groups that experienced sleep restriction during the week showed impaired glucose metabolism. Those with irregular sleep patterns recorded a notable rise in blood glucose levels.

Only the group with consistent eight-hour nights showed no significant change.

Researchers say the findings show that sleep deprivation raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The belief that weekend catch-up sleep can help the body recover, they noted, does not prevent blood sugar levels from climbing. The study has been published in the medical journal Sleep.