Cited by 810Sleep and related disordersSleep and Wakefulness ResearchRegulation of Appetite and Obesity

Associations between Sleep Loss and Increased Risk of Obesity and Diabetes

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Knutson, Kristen L., Van Cauter, Eve·2008·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Abstract

During the past few decades, sleep curtailment has become a very common in industrialized countries. This trend for shorter sleep duration has developed over the same time period as the dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Evidence is rapidly accumulating to indicate that chronic partial sleep loss may increase the risk of obesity and diabetes. Laboratory studies in healthy volunteers have shown that experimental sleep restriction is associated with an adverse impact on glucose homeostasis. Insulin sensitivity decreases rapidly and markedly without adequate compensation in beta cell function, resulting in an elevated risk of diabetes. Prospective epidemiologic studies in both children and adults are consistent with a causative role of short sleep in the increased risk of diabetes. Sleep curtailment is also associated with a dysregulation of the neuroendocrine control of appetite, with a reduction of the satiety factor, leptin, and an increase in the hunger‐promoting hormone, ghrelin. Thus, sleep loss may alter the ability of leptin and ghrelin to accurately signal caloric need, acting in concert to produce an internal misperception of insufficient energy availability. The adverse impact of sleep deprivation on appetite regulation is likely to be driven by increased activity in neuronal populations expressing the excitatory peptides orexins that promote both waking and feeding. Consistent with the laboratory evidence, multiple epidemiologic studies have shown an association between short sleep and higher body mass index after controlling for a variety of possible confounders.

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Crossref · 10.1196/annals.1417.033

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121 of 121 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Several large cross-sectional studies reported an association between short and/or poor sleep and increased prevalence of diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, after controlling for age, BMI, and other confounders.

    “Several large cross-sectional studies (reviewed in detail in [82, 178]) have reported an association between short (≤5or ≤6h per night) and/or poor sleep and increased prevalence of diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, after controlling for age, body mass index (BMI), and various other confounders.”

    From Sleep and metabolic function (2012) · cites this paper as [82]

  • An ever-growing number of cross-sectional and case-control epidemiological studies have provided evidence of an independent link between short sleep (generally <6 hours per night in adults) and the risk of obesity.

    “An ever-growing number of cross-sectional and case–control epidemiological studies (65 by 2009 [80]) have provided evidence of an independent link between short sleep (generally <6 h per night in adults) and the risk of obesity [82, 100, 124].”

    From Sleep and metabolic function (2012) · cites this paper as [82]

  • The association between short sleep and increased BMI is particularly strong and consistent in children.

    “The association between short sleep and increased BMI is particularly strong and consistent in children [82, 100, 124].”

    From Sleep and metabolic function (2012) · cites this paper as [82]

  • Lack of sleep is directly related to hormonal changes favoring increased appetite and may impair the action of leptin.

    “Lack of sleep is directly related to hormonal changes favoring increased appetite [55] and may impair the action of leptin [56].”

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Authors
Knutson, K. L., & Van Cauter, E.
Affiliations
University of Chicago (US)
Venue
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2008-05
Volume
1129
Issue
1
Pages
287-304
ISSN
  • 0077-8923 (ISSN-L)
  • 1749-6632
OpenAlex
W2070373962
Cited by
810
References
121
Citations by year
2026: 37 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 49 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 41 · 2015: 49 · 2014: 55 · 2013: 64 · 2012: 63
FWCI
4.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (P01AG011412)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL075079)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P60DK020595)
  • National Center for Research Resources (M01RR000055)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
Keywords
sleep deprivation, sleep restriction, obesity, diabetes mellitus, insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, leptin, ghrelin, appetite regulation, orexin, body mass index, sleep duration
MeSH terms
Appetite, Diabetes Mellitus, Glucose, Humans, Obesity, Risk Factors, Sleep Deprivation

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