Research found that irregular sleep patterns could be a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes. The results “underscore the importance of consistent sleep patterns as a strategy to reduce Type 2 diabetes,” said study lead author Sina Kianersi, Ph.D.

The study involved sleep and health data on more than 84,000 people enrolled in the ongoing UK Biobank study. Subjects were average age 62, and did not have diabetes as the study began.

For seven consecutive nights, the participants wore an accelerometer — a watch-like device that monitors movement while in bed. The researchers also tracked whether or not people developed Type 2 diabetes over the next 7.5 years.

After adjusting for possible confounding factors, Kianersi’s team found a clear association between irregular sleep patterns and a heightened risk for Type 2 diabetes. “Irregular” sleep was defined as sleep duration that changed by an average of 60 minutes or more between nights.

People with an irregular sleep pattern were 34 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes compared to people whose nightly sleep didn’t vary as much.