Type 2 diabetes risk linked to troubled sleep in new Australian study

We all know how terrible we feel after a bad night's sleep, but a new Australian study has provided yet another reason why we should try to get as much quality sleep as we can.

The study, conducted by University of South Australia researchers, has shown troubled sleep could be a possible increased risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

In a peer reviewed study of 1000 Australians, researchers found participants with trouble sleeping were on average more likely to have indicators of poor cardiometabolic health – inflammatory markers, cholesterol and body weight – which can contribute to type 2 diabetes.

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The number of people with type 2 diabetes has been increasing in Australia and around the world. 

There are now almost one million adults in Australia with type 2 diabetes, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Worldwide, type 2 diabetes affects more than 422 million people.

University of South Australia researcher, Dr Lisa Matricciani, said it was not just the length of sleep we get each night that is important when it comes to this new potential risk.

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"Everyone knows that sleep is important. But when we think about sleep, we mainly focus on how many hours of sleep we get, when we should also be looking at our sleep experience as a whole," Dr Matricciani says.

"How soundly we sleep, when we go to bed and get up, and how regular our sleep habits are, may be just as important as sleep duration."

"In this study, we examined the association of different aspects of sleep, and risk factors for diabetes, and found a connection between those who had troubled sleep and those who were at risk of type 2 diabetes."

The study assessed more than 1000 Australian adults with a median age of 44.8 years. Most of the participants - 87 per cent - were mothers.

About half of the participants reported that they never had troubled sleep.

"People who reported having trouble sleeping were also more likely to have a higher body mass index, as well as blood markers of cholesterol and inflammation," Matricciani said.

"When it comes down to the crunch, we know we must prioritise our sleep to help stay in good health. More research is needed, but as this study shows, it's important to think about sleep as a whole, not just as one aspect."