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Sleep Regularity and Cardiometabolic Heath: Is Variability in Sleep Patterns a Risk Factor for Excess Adiposity and Glycemic Dysregulation?

  • Obesity (KM Gadde and P Singh, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Diabetes Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Night-to-night variability in sleep patterns leads to circadian disruption and, consequently, could increase cardiometabolic risk. The purpose of this review is to summarize findings from studies published between 2015 and 2020 examining various measures of night-to-night variability in sleep in relation to metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and their risk factors. We illustrate a potential causal pathway between irregular sleep patterns and T2D, highlighting knowledge gaps along the way.

Recent Findings

Across different measures of sleep variability, irregular sleep patterns were associated with poorer cardiometabolic outcomes. Higher standard deviations (SD) across nights of sleep duration and onset or midpoint of sleep were associated with increased odds of having MetS and clusters of metabolic abnormalities as well as greater adiposity and poorer glycemic control. Conversely, greater regularity of rest-activity patterns related to lower risk for T2D. Social jetlag was associated with glycemic dysregulation, adiposity, T2D, and MetS. These associations are often observed in both metabolically healthy and unhealthy individuals; both higher SD of sleep duration and social jetlag relate to poorer glucose regulation in individuals with diabetes.

Summary

There is consistent evidence of associations of sleep variability with increased risk for adiposity, glucose dysregulation, T2D, and MetS. Although experimental evidence is needed to determine causation, there is support to recommend stabilizing sleep patterns for cardiometabolic risk prevention.

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Funding

Dr. St-Onge is funded by NIH Grants R01 HL128226 and R01 HL142648 and an AHA Go Red for Women Grant 16SFRN27950012. Dr. Zuraikat is a Berrie Fellow in Diabetes Research and is supported by NIH Grant T32 HL007343. Dr. Makarem is supported by a NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from NHLBI (Grant # K99 HL148511). Dr. Redline is supported by NIH Grant R35 HL135818. Dr. Aggarwal is funded by an AHA Go Red for Women Grant 16SFRN27960011. Dr. Jelic is funded by NIH grants R01 HL106041 and R01 HL137234 as well as by an AHA Go Red for Women Grant 16SFRN29050000.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Sleep Center of Excellence, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Faris M. Zuraikat, Nour Makarem, Brooke Aggarwal, Sanja Jelic & Marie-Pierre St-Onge

  2. Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 51 Audubon Avenue, 5th floor, New York, NY, USA

    Nour Makarem & Brooke Aggarwal

  3. Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Susan Redline

  4. Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, P&S8-512, New York, NY, USA

    Sanja Jelic

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  1. Faris M. Zuraikat
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Correspondence to Marie-Pierre St-Onge.

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Zuraikat, F.M., Makarem, N., Redline, S. et al. Sleep Regularity and Cardiometabolic Heath: Is Variability in Sleep Patterns a Risk Factor for Excess Adiposity and Glycemic Dysregulation?. Curr Diab Rep 20, 38 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-020-01324-w

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