Short sleep duration, glucose dysregulation and hormonal regulation of appetite in men and women.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Inpatient randomized crossover trial in humans
PubMed 23115399 · doi:10.5665/sleep.2198
What was done
A randomized inpatient crossover trial evaluated the metabolic and hormonal effects of sleep restriction under controlled feeding in 27 normal-weight men and women (aged 30–45 years, habitual sleep duration 7–9 hours/night). Participants completed two 4-day conditions: short sleep (4 hours in bed per night) and habitual sleep (9 hours in bed per night). A controlled diet was provided during both periods. Fasting blood samples were drawn daily, and frequent blood sampling was conducted throughout day 4 to measure glucose, insulin, leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, total GLP-1, and PYY(3-36).
What was found
Body weight decreased during both the habitual sleep (-2.2 ± 0.4 lb) and short sleep (-1.7 ± 0.4 lb) phases (both P < 0.0001). Sleep duration had no significant effect on glucose, insulin, or leptin profiles (all P > 0.05). Ghrelin and GLP-1 responses differed by sex: short sleep increased fasting total ghrelin (P = 0.054) and morning (08:00–12:00) total ghrelin (P = 0.042) in men but not in women, whereas afternoon (12:30–19:00) GLP-1 levels were lower after short sleep compared to habitual sleep in women (P = 0.016) but not in men.
Why it matters
The study shows that short sleep duration modifies appetite-regulating hormones through distinct pathways in men and women, even in the absence of glucose dysregulation or insulin resistance under hypocaloric feeding conditions.
Limits
The sample size was small (n = 27), and the 4-day exposure reflects only short-term sleep deprivation. Both groups experienced unintentional weight loss, meaning observations occurred in the context of negative energy balance and may not generalize to eucaloric or ad libitum feeding states. Actual ad libitum food intake was not measured.