[On the detrimental metabolic impact of short, disturbed and erratic sleep]

Our modern 24-hour society shows an increasing trend towards shortened and erratic sleep.  A large number of epidemiological studies indicate that in parallel, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its key components, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, is on the rise. Short-term interventional experiments point to a causal relationship between sleep duration and quality and energy metabolism and have identified underlying mechanisms. In particular, changes in the neuroendocrine regulation of glucose metabolism, in circadian rhythmicity as well as in the regulation of appetite and eating behavior are assumed to mediate the detrimental effect of insufficient sleep on energy balance. Although long-term interventional studies are still sparse, existing evidence suggests that improving sleep hygiene represents an attractive approach for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases.