Background: Sleep disorders are associated with having or developing type 2 diabetes, increased insulin resistance, and higher BMI. The relationship between sleep duration and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics has not been well studied. We examined the relationship between CGM-based metrics and sleep duration in a population without diabetes.
Methods: Glucose metrics from a 10-day blinded CGM (Dexcom G6) wear and sleep metrics from a concurrent unblinded Fitbit wear were collected. Participants (mean (SD) age= 49.1 (10) years, BMI= 29.5 (8) kg/m2, 90% female, 14% African American) were recruited from an employee health plan in the Southeastern US. Forty-nine individuals without diabetes or prediabetes were included in this analysis. A linear regression model adjusting for age and BMI was used to evaluate the relationship between mean daytime glucose and nightly hours of sleep.
Results: Participants recorded a median (IQR) 6.4 (6.1, 7.1) nightly hours of sleep, 6416 (5112, 8071) daily steps, and 12.7 (12.1, 13.5) daily sedentary hours. Mean (SD) mean daytime glucose was 112.7 (11.5) mg/dL and coefficient of variation was 15.4 (3) %. Mean daytime glucose was significantly and inversely associated with nightly hours of sleep (Beta= -3.1, p <0.05).
Conclusion: In this population without diabetes, each additional one hour of sleep was associated with 3.1 mg/dL lower mean daytime glucose. This finding aligns with existing research on the protective effects of sleep on glycemic health and suggests it may be beneficial for people at risk for developing diabetes to improve their sleep habits. Longitudinal research where behavioral data is collected along with CGM can provide further insights into correlates of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
M. A. Crawford: Employee; Self; Dexcom, Inc. S. K. Pickus: Employee; Self; Dexcom, Inc. K. C. Hames: Employee; Self; Dexcom, Inc. M. Johnson: Employee; Self; Dexcom, Inc. I. J. Klein: None. G. J. Norman: Employee; Self; Dexcom, Inc.
