Getting regular sleep may help prevent type 2 diabetes, according to new research from experts at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

The researchers examined the sleep patterns of more than 84,000 participants in the UK Biobank study, all with an average age of 62. None of them had diabetes at the start.

They used accelerometers — watch-like devices — to monitor participants’ sleep patterns for seven days. The researchers then followed these individuals for more than seven years to monitor the progression of diabetes, primarily using medical records.

What is the relationship between sleep and diabetes?

The study published in Diabetes careThe researchers found that participants with irregular sleep patterns had a 34% greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

Those whose sleep duration varies by more than 60 minutes per day have a significantly higher risk of developing the disease.

Even after adjusting for various risk factors such as lifestyle, comorbidities, family history of diabetes, and obesity, the association between irregular sleep and diabetes remained significant.

How important are these discoveries?

“Our study has identified a modifiable lifestyle factor that may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes,” said Sina Kianersi, lead author of the study.

Since type 2 diabetes affects nearly half a billion people worldwide and is a leading cause of death and disability, promoting regular sleep patterns could be an important strategy in preventing the disease.

The number of people with type 2 diabetes is projected to double by 2050, reaching 1.3 billion people.

“Our findings have the potential to improve diabetes prevention on several levels,” Kianersi said.

What are the restrictions and next steps?

The study had some limitations, such as collecting certain information for up to five years before using accelerometers, which may affect the accuracy of the results.

Additionally, the sleep duration assessment was based on only seven days, which may not reflect long-term sleep patterns.

The researchers plan to expand the study to include younger age groups and more diverse ethnic backgrounds. They are also interested in exploring the biological reasons why irregular sleep increases the risk of diabetes, with an eye toward improving clinical care.