Getting a superb night’s sleep is important for health, especially for diabetes patients. Studies have shown that poor sleep increases the danger of diabetes, but the precise mechanism by which sleep controls blood sugar levels was not known. In a latest study, researchers from the University of California have unraveled the mystery.

The research team discovered how deep-sleep brain waves at night regulate an individual’s insulin sensitivity, which determines blood sugar control the following day. In response to them, the coupling of deep-sleep brain waves, called sleep spindles, and slow waves is liable for predicting insulin sensitivity.

“In an examination of over 600 humans, we show that the coupling of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep spindles and slow oscillations the night before is related to improved next-day peripheral glucose control,” the researchers wrote.

“These synchronized brain waves act like a finger that flicks the primary domino to begin an associated chain response from the brain, right down to the guts, after which out to change the body’s regulation of blood sugar. Specifically, the mix of two brain waves, called sleep spindles and slow waves, predict a rise within the body’s sensitivity to the hormone called insulin, which consequentially and beneficially lowers blood glucose levels,” Matthew Walker, a senior creator of the study, said.

The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, suggests sleep quality is more necessary than quantity for diabetes patients, and sleep modification could also be an efficient lifestyle change that may help in controlling blood sugar levels.

Researchers imagine the findings could assist in using sleep as a therapeutic and painless adjunct treatment for individuals with diabetes.

“Beyond revealing a latest mechanism, our results also show that these deep-sleep brain waves may very well be used as a sensitive marker of somebody’s next-day blood sugar levels, more so than traditional sleep metrics,” said Vyoma D. Shah, a co-author of the study.

“Adding to the therapeutic relevance of this latest discovery, the findings also suggest a novel, non-invasive tool — deep-sleep brain waves — for mapping and predicting someone’s blood sugar control,” Shah added.

Published by Medicaldaily.com