Sleep is paramount for health, with much evidence to that effect in the scientific literature. Too little sleep ages us biologically and undermines our mood and sense of well-being. It even makes depression and anxiety worsen1. It becomes more difficult to rise to the demands of work or even play. Genes that must switch on through the night do not. Many scientific studies demonstrate that diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and other disorders2 associated with aging will kill us earlier in life if we shortchange ourselves on quality sleep.
I’ve seen sleep even trump food for a healthy mind and body. In my work at the Comite Center for Precision Medicine & Health, I look at a patient as a clinical trial of a single individual, an N-of-1 trial. I’ll do a deep dive into an individual’s medical history, family health history, lifestyle habits, extensive blood work, and other diagnostics. And the evidence is clear that deep sleep and REM sleep have a profound impact on patient health—starting with improved sugar, or glucose management. A 2019 study found that 62% of people with glucose levels in the pre-diabetes range are likely to have poor sleep. I have a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism3 (as most, if not all, people do).
Years ago, I started wearing a Continuous Glucose Monitor (a CGM) long before they were available in the United States. Beginning in 2012, I downloaded a sleep app (after fracturing my shoulder skiing, which disrupted my sleep). I continue to monitor the stats and patterns each day to see what happens to my metabolism during the night. Sleep has a powerful impact on my metabolism, especially sugar and insulin control.
After buying an Oura ring so I could monitor my sleep more precisely, I saw a direct correlation between the nights I got the least deep sleep and higher sugar readings on my CGM. When I spend too few hours in bed, I tend to lose REM sleep but get sufficient deep sleep: that gives me energy to do all that I must. But I feel best when deep sleep and REM are both adequate and my dreams are vivid.
