2026/07/01 13:17
Nutritionist Lin Licen said that the impact of going to bed late on blood sugar metabolism is actually not only a decrease in sleep time, but also related to the biological clock, hormones, insulin sensitivity and eating; situational photo. (Picture taken from freepik)
[Health Channel/Comprehensive Report] Going to bed late and getting up late on weekends to make up for sleep does not mean that it will not affect your health. Nutritionist Lin Licen said that the impact of going to bed late on blood sugar metabolism is not only due to less sleep time, but also related to the biological clock, hormones, insulin sensitivity and eating. Be reminded that insulin sensitivity decreases at night, coupled with the increase in stress hormones caused by going to bed late, and it is easy to eat late-night snacks or sweets, causing blood sugar to rise more easily and fall back more slowly, which may increase insulin resistance and the risk of type 2 diabetes in the long run.
5 major reasons for unstable blood sugar after going to bed late at night
Why does going to bed late make blood sugar more unstable? Lin Licen posted a post on the Facebook fan page "Lin Licen Nutritionist's Little World" and stated that the reasons include the following five aspects:
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●The body is not good at processing sugar at night: The human body has a circadian rhythm. Generally speaking, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance are better after getting up in the morning; at night, the body's ability to process glucose will decrease. In other words, the same serving of starch or sweets may have different blood sugar responses if eaten during the day or late at night, and may rise more easily or fall more slowly at night.
●Going to bed late and often not getting enough sleep can increase insulin resistance: not getting enough sleep will make cells less responsive to insulin, making it less likely that blood sugar will be brought into muscles, liver and fat cells for use. Diabetes-related information from NIDDK (the National Institute of Diabetes Research) also points out that lack of sleep may reduce insulin sensitivity by about 20%–30%.
In addition, a large-scale generational study in "JAMA Network Open" in 2024 also found that those who sleep less than 6 hours a day have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who sleep 7-8 hours. Even if the diet is of better quality, the risk of short sleep still exists.
●Going to bed late will increase stress hormones: When you don’t get enough sleep or stay up late, your body tends to stay in a higher alert state, and the sympathetic nerves and cortisol are more active. High cortisol will promote the liver to release glucose, making fasting blood sugar or nighttime blood sugar less stable. Therefore, some people may still have high blood sugar the next morning despite not eating much at night.
●Going to bed late is likely to delay dinner, late-night snacks, and sugary eating: People who go to bed late are more likely to have late dinners, late-night snacks, handheld drinks, and snacks. Studies in people with type 2 diabetes have found that a later schedule is associated with more dinner meals and poorer blood sugar control.
●Eating when melatonin rises will worsen blood sugar processing: At night, when it is close to sleep time, melatonin rises, and the body begins to enter the rest and repair mode. If you eat high-sugar and high-starch foods at this time, insulin secretion and glucose processing may be less than ideal.
Lin Licen reminded that the decrease in insulin sensitivity at night, coupled with the increase in stress hormones caused by going to bed late, and the easy combination of late night snacks or sweets, make blood sugar more likely to rise and fall back more slowly, which may increase insulin resistance and the risk of type 2 diabetes in the long run. It is recommended to eat dinner earlier, go to bed earlier, and sleep for 7 hours. In addition to improving blood sugar metabolism, appetite can even be better controlled the next day, and the effectiveness of weight management will also be improved.
