Sleep restriction to 4 hours per night for 6 nights was associated with decreased glucose tolerance, elevated evening cortisol, and increased sympathetic activity in young, healthy adults.
Does sleep restriction alter metabolism, endocrine function, and sympathetic activity in young, healthy adults?
Sleep loss may mediate the adverse health impacts of low socioeconomic status by increasing allostatic load and facilitating chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
A bstract : This article discusses the hypothesis that the adverse impact of low socioeconomic status (SES) on health may be partly mediated by decrements in sleep duration and quality. Low SES is frequently associated with a diminished opportunity to obtain sufficient sleep or with environmental conditions that compromise sleep quality. In a recent study, we examined carbohydrate metabolism, endocrine function, and sympatho‐vagal balance in young, healthy adults studied after restricting sleep to four hours per night for six nights as compared to a fully rested condition obtained by extending the bedtime period to 12 hours per night for six nights. The state of sleep debt was associated with decreased glucose tolerance, elevated evening cortisol levels, and increased sympathetic activity. The alterations in glucose tolerance and hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal function were qualitatively and quantitatively similar to those observed in normal aging. These results indicate that sleep loss can increase the “allostatic load” and facilitate the development of chronic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, which have an increased prevalence in low SES groups.
Cauter et al. (Wed,) conducted a review in Healthy adults. Sleep restriction vs. Fully rested condition (12 hours per night) was evaluated on Carbohydrate metabolism, endocrine function, and sympatho-vagal balance. Sleep restriction to 4 hours per night for 6 nights was associated with decreased glucose tolerance, elevated evening cortisol, and increased sympathetic activity in young, healthy adults.