Posted on 09/23/2022 3:02:20 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Our activity patterns and sleep cycles could influence our risk of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. New research has found that wake/sleep cycles cause metabolic differences and alter our body's preference for energy sources. The researchers found that those who stay up later have a reduced ability to use fat for energy, meaning fats may build up in the body and increase risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The metabolic differences relate to how well each group can use insulin to promote glucose uptake by the cells for storage and energy use. People who are "early birds" rely more on fat as an energy source and are more active during the day with higher levels of aerobic fitness than "night owls." On the other hand, night owls use less fat for energy at rest and during exercise.
Researchers found that early birds use more fat for energy at both rest and during exercise than night owls. Early birds were also more insulin-sensitive. Night owls, on the other hand, are insulin resistant, meaning their bodies require more insulin to lower blood glucose levels, and their bodies favored carbohydrates as an energy source over fats. This group's impaired ability to respond to insulin to promote fuel use can be harmful as it indicates a greater risk of type 2 diabetes and/or heart disease.
Professor Steven Malin said, "The differences in fat metabolism between 'early birds' and 'night owls' shows that our body's circadian rhythm (wake/sleep cycle) could affect how our bodies use insulin. A sensitive or impaired ability to respond to the insulin hormone has major implications for our health. This observation advances our understanding of how our body's circadian rhythms impact our health.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
It pays to get up and get to sleep, earlier.
I could have sworn I just read an article asserting the exact opposite.
You did. I read the same article.
I now love going to bed early, by 10 pm if possible. It makes sleeping so much sounder than if I wait until after midnight. And I naturally wake up about 7 hours later.
.
Now I’ve got that Little River Band song in my head:
Move on, there’s a howl of a night owl calling
To belong, she’s crying in the night
Be strong, find the heart of a night owl falling
Stay up till dawn until the night is gone
I’m like Yogi Berra. I go to bed early and then stay up all night.
I already had Type II diabetes long before I became a night owl.
The article I remember from a day or two ago said that going to sleep early and sleeping longer increased the risk of dementia, not diabetes and heart disease. Is that the one you’re thinking of?
I guess you just have to make a choice which maladies you want.
Who?
Benjamin Franklin was right. Early to bed, Early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Tell that to my frail, sedentary 85yo mother.
She aggravates us by constantlY staying up till 2 with plenty of 3and 4 am thrown in.
I grew up this way and wish she would consider us and business hours when going to bed and waking, but mom still doesn’t really have much wrong with her.
I have type 2 diabetes, but due to overradiation treatment for testicular cancer. I developed diabetes right after the radiation treatment which damaged my pancreas. Still have to watch my sugar and wake up at 5-6am every morning. Good story for the rest of you diabetics.
How would going against nature affect you? Negatively or positively?
I can tell you from having to work shiftwork that it affects you negatively.
I’m a goner. 😆
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