Sleep and metabolic disease

The epidemics of obesity and diabetes are increasing rapidly world-wide. Due to the potentially devastating consequences of these metabolic diseases, it is imperative that modifiable causes of both diabetes and obesity be identified as potential areas of intervention. Although changes in diet and exercise have played an important role, another possible explanation for the epidemic is reduced sleep duration and quality. Sleep loss may be the result of either a voluntary restriction of time spent in bed or as a result of a sleep disorder. This chapter presents potential pathways leading from insufficient or disturbed sleep to diabetes and obesity, including impaired glucose metabolism, increases in appetite, and reduction in energy expenditure following reductions in sleep duration and/or quality. It explores the evidence for an association between metabolic diseases and sleep duration and quality.