A new study published in this month’s issue of Sleep magazine suggests that women with irregular sleep cycles are more likely to have a higher body mass index and an increase in insulin resistance – two indicators of adverse metabolic health.

“Irregular sleep schedules, including highly variable bedtimes and staying up much later than usual, are associated in midlife women with insulin resistance, which is an important indicator of metabolic health, including diabetes risk,” said senior author Martica Hall, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. “We found that weekday-weekend differences in bedtime were especially important.”

Hall said the study is important because diabetes risk increases in midlife women, and the study suggests that irregular sleep schedules may be an important piece of the puzzle.

“The good news is that sleep timing is a modifiable behaviour,” said Hall. “Metabolic health was better in women who had more regular sleep schedules, including regular bedtimes across weekdays and weekends.”