Real-World Data in Support of Short Sleep Duration with Poor Glycemic Control, in People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Aims. Sleep duration (SD) has been associated with metabolic outcomes. Is there an independent association between short/long SD and glycemic control (GC) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) outpatients, compared to intermediate SD? Employing up-to-date definitions of SD, we comprehensively considered, simultaneously, all known confounding/mediating factors that recently emerged in the literature: age, gender, diet, physical activity, obesity, night pain, nocturnal diuresis, sleep quality, chronotype, sleep apnea, depressive symptoms, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, number of endocrinologist appointments, T2DM family history, and sleep medication. Methods. A cross-sectional study of 140 consecutive T2DM outpatients, ages 40-65, glycohemoglobin HbA1c goal≤7. We searched for variables (including HbA1c) significantly associated with short (<6 hours) or long (>8 hours) SD, in comparison to intermediate SD (6-8 hours). Results. Higher HbA1c levels increased the chance of belonging to the group that sleeps <6 hours (p≤0.001). Better sleep quality, nocturnal diuresis, and morningness increased the chance of belonging to the group that sleeps >8 hours (p<0.05). Conclusions. There is an independent association between short SD and elevated HbA1c, in real-world T2DM outpatients. Future interventional studies could evaluate weather consistent, long-term sleep extension, from <6 hours to 7–9 hours per 24 hours, improves GC in T2DM outpatients.