Sleep Schedule Changes Can Harm Health

Even little adjustments to your sleep schedule could be detrimental to your health, according to a recent study.

Researchers found that study participants who had a greater misalignment between sleep schedules on free and work days tended to have poorer cholesterol profiles, larger waist circumference, higher fasting insulin levels, higher body-mass index and were more resistant to insulin than others.

During this recent study, researchers examined sleep patterns and cardiometabolic risk in 447 men and women who were part of the Adult Health and Behavior Project Phase 2 study. Participants were between the ages of 30 and 54 and worked at least 25 hours a week outside the home. They also wore a wristband that measured their movement and sleep 24 hours a week. Lastly, they received questionnaires to report their diet and exercise habits.

Among the participants, nearly 85 percent had a later halfway point in their sleep cycle - a measurement known as midsleep - on free days compared to work days. The other 15 percent had an earlier midsleep on free days than on work days.

"If future studies replicate what we found here, then we may need to consider as a society how modern work and social obligations are affecting our sleep and health," Patricia M. Wong, MS, of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA, said in a news release. "There could be benefits to clinical interventions focused on circadian disturbances, workplace education to help employees and their families make informed decisions about structuring their schedules, and policies to encourage employers to consider these issues."

Sleep disruption is among the factors that have contributed to rising rates of diabetes and obesity. More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and 35.1 percent of American adults are obese, according to the Endocrine Society's Endocrine Facts and Figures report.

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 

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