New research finds deep-sleep brain waves predict blood sugar control

Medical Xpress / University of California - Berkeley / Cell Reports Medicine ^ | July 8, 2023 | Jason Pohl / Raphael Vallat et al

[ConservativeMind]

Researchers have known that a lack of quality sleep can increase a person's risk of diabetes. What has remained a mystery, however, is why.

Now, a team of sleep scientists have uncovered a potential mechanism in humans that explains how and why deep-sleep brain waves at night are able to regulate the body's sensitivity to insulin, which in turn improves blood sugar control the next day.

"These synchronized brain waves act like a finger that flicks the first domino to start an associated chain reaction from the brain, down to the heart, and then out to alter the body's regulation of blood sugar," said Matthew Walker. "In particular, the combination of two brain waves, called sleep spindles and slow waves, predict an increase in the body's sensitivity to the hormone called insulin, which consequentially and beneficially lowers blood glucose levels."

The researchers say this is an exciting advance because sleep is a modifiable lifestyle factor that could now be used as part of a therapeutic and painless adjunct treatment for those with high blood sugar or Type 2 diabetes.

But this new research reveals a novel and previously unrecognized role for these combined brain waves in humans when it comes to the critical bodily function of blood sugar management.

The researchers first examined sleep data in a group of 600 individuals. They found that this particular coupled set of deep-sleep brain waves predicted next-day glucose control, even after controlling for other factors such as age, gender and the duration and quality of sleep.

"This particular coupling of deep-sleep brain waves was more predictive of glucose than an individual's sleep duration or sleep efficiency," said Raphael Vallat. "That indicates there is something uniquely special about the electrophysiological quality and coordinated ballet of these brain oscillations during deep sleep."

[ConservativeMind]

Find ways to have a better quality of sleep and you may have better glucose and insulin control.

Do what works best for you.

[ConservativeMind]

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[ChildOfThe60s]

Bttt

[ChildOfThe60s]

Bttt

[Robert357]

bump for reference

[tired&retired]

This could relate to why people with sleep apnea gain weight.

[Delta 21]

This is the first morning the sun is shining in 13 days. The rain, low pressures and dark scary thunder clouds should be done for a week or two. My sleep has sucked for 2 weeks and it just happens to coincide with my glucose levels being about 20 pts high and me having trouble making the numbers stay down. Good sleep is evasive. Inflammation makes it hurt and makes it worse.

I am become my grand-daddy with a very trick back and right hip.