Internal Clock Disruption Spurs Diabetes, Obesity In Mice

A new study in mice shows just what can happen when we disrupt our body's natural internal clocks.

The research, published in the FASEB Journal and conducted by researchers at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, shows that disrupting the body's natural circadian rhythm spurs metabolic problems, which can eventually lead to health issues like diabetes and obesity.

The study involved disrupting mice's internal clocks by shining light constantly at them. When they did this, their metabolism and insulin sensitivity cycles were gradually disrupted.

Even though this study was done in mice, there's plenty of evidence to suggest something similar could occur in humans. A review of past studies published last year in the American Journal of Human Biology showed that sleep deprivation is linked with impaired glucose metabolism and even higher blood pressure, not to mention a negative effect on appetite regulation.

And a study published last year in the journal SLEEP suggested that getting more sleep could help to limit the effect of genes on weight, HuffPost's Catherine Pearson reported, showing just how strong a link there is between sleep and weight.