Study links irregular sleep schedules to adverse metabolic health in women

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-02/aaos-sli020116.php

Public Release: 1-Feb-2016
Study links irregular sleep schedules to adverse metabolic health in women
Study is first to examine individual differences in habitual sleep timing in relation to indices of metabolic health
American Academy of Sleep Medicine

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A new study suggests that frequent shifts in sleep timing may be related to adverse metabolic health among non-shift working, midlife women.

Results show that greater variability in bedtime and greater bedtime delay were associated with higher insulin resistance, and greater bedtime advance was associated with higher body mass index (BMI). In prospective analyses, greater bedtime delay - for example, staying up 2 hours later than usual - also predicted an increase in insulin resistance 5 years later. The cross-sectional and prospective associations between these measures were significant only when both weekdays and weekends were included in the analysis, suggesting that large deviations in bedtime between work days and free days contributed to impaired glucose regulation.

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