Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to health, especially if you’re a diabetic. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation increases the risk of diabetes, but the exact mechanism by which sleep controls blood sugar levels is unknown. In a new study, researchers at the University of California have solved this mystery.
The research team discovered how nocturnal deep sleep brain waves regulate a person’s insulin sensitivity, which determines blood sugar control the next day. According to them, the coupling of deep sleep brain waves (called sleep spindles) and slow waves is responsible for predicting insulin sensitivity.
“In examinations of more than 600 humans, we demonstrate that the coupling of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep spindles and slow oscillations from the previous night is associated with improved peripheral glycemic control the next day,” the researchers wrote.
“These synchronized brain waves act like a finger, flicking the first domino, setting off a chain reaction of related events from the brain to the heart, which then alters the body’s regulation of blood sugar. In particular, the combination of the two brain waves is called Sleep spindles and slow waves signal an increase in the body’s sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which beneficially lowers blood sugar levels,” said Matthew Walker, senior author of the study. explain.
The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, shows that Sleep quality For people with diabetes, sleep is more important than quantity, and sleep changes may be an effective lifestyle change to help manage blood sugar levels.
The researchers believe the findings may help harness sleep as a therapeutic and pain-free adjunctive treatment for people with diabetes.
“In addition to revealing a new mechanism, our results suggest that these deep sleep brainwaves could be used as a sensitive marker of someone’s blood sugar levels the next day, more effectively than traditional indicators of sleep,” said researcher Vyoma D. Shah . – Author of the study.
Shah added: “In addition to this newfound therapeutic relevance, the findings suggest a novel non-invasive tool – deep sleep brainwaves – for mapping and predicting someone’s blood sugar control.”
Published by Medicaldaily.com