A recent study has shown that patients with diabetes with disturbed sleep patterns have a high chance of experiencing premature death.

Lack of enough hours of sleep can reduce the life span of an individual

Through research studies in the past, it has come to light that not getting the stipulated amount of sleep can result in weakening the immune system, it can cause mood swings, and it can also be one of the reasons for poor performance in school or at work. A team from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Surrey have concluded that not getting enough sleep can decrease an individual’s lifespan. 

Sleep-deprived diabetic patients are at a higher risk an early death

The study which appears in the Journal of Sleep Research went on to bring to light the connection between sleep-deprived diabetic patients and longevity. Lack of the stipulated hours of sleep can have a more significant impact on a patient who has diabetes than its effect on someone who does not. Researchers examined patients with both conditions; diabetes and sleep problems. Those who suffered both were 87% more likely to die during a nine-year follow-up period. However, for those with diabetes who did not have sleeping disorders, the blood sugar condition increased their chance of experiencing an early death by 12%. 

“If you don’t have diabetes, your sleep disturbances are still associated with an increased risk of dying, but it’s higher for those with diabetes,” says corresponding study author Kristen Knutson, associate professor of neurology (sleep medicine) and preventive medicine (epidemiology) at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, in a media release.

Prevention is better than cure

According to Knutson, determining if a person is unable to get sleep at night or it is something that is keeping them awake is the key to address the fatal trouble of sleep deprivation. “This simple question is a pretty easy one for a clinician to ask. You can even ask yourself,” Knutson explains. “But it’s a very broad question and there are a lot of reasons you might not be sleeping well. So it’s important to bring it up with your doctor so they can dive deeper. Is it just noise or light or something bigger, like insomnia or sleep apnea? Those are the more vulnerable patients in need of support, therapy and investigation into their disease.”