The metabolic consequences of sleep deprivation

Sleep Medicine Reviews Volume 11, Issue 3, Pages 163-178 (June 2007)

The metabolic consequences of sleep deprivation

Kristen L. Knutsona Corresponding Author Information email address, Karine Spiegelbemail address, Plamen Penevaemail address, Eve Van Cauteraemail address

Summary

The prevalence of diabetes and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, and the causes of this pandemic are not fully understood. Chronic sleep curtailment is a behavior that has developed over the past 2–3 decades. Laboratory and epidemiological studies suggest that sleep loss may play a role in the increased prevalence of diabetes and/or obesity. Current data suggest the relationship between sleep restriction, weight gain and diabetes risk may involve at least three pathways: (1) alterations in glucose metabolism; (2) upregulation of appetite; and (3) decreased energy expenditure. The present article reviews the current evidence in support of these three mechanisms that might link short sleep and increased obesity and diabetes risk.
Keywords: Sleep deprivation, Diabetes, Obesity, Glucose tolerance, Energy expenditure, Epidemiology, Leptin, Ghrelin, Appetite, Orexins

a Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave, MC 1027, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

b Laboratoire de Physiologie, Centre d’Etude des Rythmes Biologiques (CERB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Hôpital Erasme—CPI 604, 808, Route de Lennik, B-1070 Bruxelles, Belgium

Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +17737020169; fax: +17737027686.

PII: S1087-0792(07)00020-2

doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2007.01.002

© 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.