Influence of sleep deprivation on energy balance and insulin sensitivity in healthy women

Background: Voluntary sleep restriction is a lifestyle feature of modern society that may contribute to obesity and diabetes. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of partial sleep deprivation on insulin sensitivity and the regulation of energy balance. Design: In a controlled intervention, 14 healthy women (age 23–38 years, BMI 20.0–36.6 kg/m²) were investigated after 2 nights of > 8 h sleep/night (T0), after 4 nights of consecutively increasing sleep curtailment (7 h, 6 h, 6 h, and 4 h sleep/night, T1) and after 2 nights of sleep recovery (> 8 h sleep/night, T2). Resting and total energy expenditure (REE, TEE), glucose induced thermogenesis (GIT), physical activity, dietary intake, HOMA-, Matsuda-Index and endocrine parameters were assessed. Results: When compared with T0, energy intake (+ 20%), body weight (+ 0.4 kg), leptin secretion (+ 29%), free triiodothyronine (+ 19%), thyroxine (+ 10%), and GIT (+ 34%) significantly increased with sleep deprivation at T1 (all p < 0.05). Mean REE, physical activity, TEE, oral glucose tolerance and basal ghrelin levels remained unchanged, but the decrease in plasma ghrelin levels following an oral glucose load was lower at T1. The augmenting effect of sleep loss on GIT, fT3, fT4, and cortisol levels was inversely related to body fat mass. Sleep loss induced variances in REE and insulin sensitivity were associated. An increase in REE was related to a decrease in insulin sensitivity (r = −0.73, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Short-term sleep deprivation affects both sides of energy balance and leads to net weight gain. Sleep loss induced variances in energy expenditure were associated with fat mass and insulin sensitivity.