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Even if you don't get enough sleep, could your risk of diabetes increase?

Blood sugar levels reflect various aspects of your body's overall condition and are influenced by several factors, including diet, sleep, and stress. Today, we're exploring a reader's question about whether recurring sleep problems could be linked to the development of prediabetes.

A Reader Asks

“My previous health checkup showed normal results, but at my most recent checkup, I was diagnosed with prediabetes. Nothing else in my lifestyle seems to have changed significantly, but lately, I've been waking up frequently in the early hours of the morning. Could my sleep patterns be affecting my blood sugar levels?”

Q. Can Insufficient Sleep Raise Blood Sugar Levels?

Expert Advice: Dayoung Lee, MD, Division of Endocrinology, Korea University Ansan Hospital

A. Sleep Can Affect Blood Sugar Levels. Identifying the Cause and Maintaining a Consistent Body Clock Are Essential.

“Sleep is one of the factors closely linked to blood sugar regulation. Not getting enough sleep, experiencing poor sleep quality, or maintaining irregular bedtimes and wake-up times can interfere with the body's ability to regulate blood sugar through insulin.

In clinical practice, people with diabetes often have irregular sleep and wake-up schedules. Sleep patterns such as staying up late on weekdays and trying to catch up on sleep over the weekend can disrupt the body's natural circadian rhythm, potentially increasing the risk of elevated blood sugar levels.

Maintaining a consistent daily routine, including regular sleep hours, is therefore important for blood sugar management. In a study involving people with type 2 diabetes who wore continuous glucose monitors, 46.3% of participants with the most stable circadian rhythms met their blood sugar management targets, compared with just 20.0% of those with the least stable rhythms. This represents a difference of approximately 2.3 times.

The study also found that people who got sufficient sleep tended to experience smaller fluctuations in blood sugar levels and a lower risk of hypoglycemia.

For these reasons, I recommend adopting lifestyle habits that help stabilize your body's natural rhythms. Maintain a consistent wake-up time and get some sunlight in the morning. Increase your physical activity during the day and avoid sitting for prolonged periods without breaks. Eat meals at regular times and avoid late-night snacking.

At night, minimize light in your bedroom and aim for seven to eight hours of sleep. Try to maintain the same sleep schedule on weekdays and weekends.

If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, it is also essential to discuss your test results, including fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels, with your healthcare provider. Together, you can establish a plan for follow-up testing and lifestyle changes to help prevent progression to type 2 diabetes.

However, frequently waking up in the early hours of the morning does not necessarily mean your blood sugar levels are elevated. There are many possible causes, including stress, caffeine consumption, frequent nighttime urination, and sleep apnea.

If you regularly wake up throughout the night, it is best to consult a healthcare professional to identify the underlying cause.”

Source: 헬스조선 (https://health.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2026/10/13/2026101302185.html)