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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci 2020; 13(03): 191-194
DOI: 10.5935/1984-0063.20200038
THEORETICAL ESSAYS

Sleep-wake cycle impairment adding on the risk for COVID-19 severity in people with diabetes

Mark Thomaz Ugliara Barone
1   International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Board of Directors - Brussels - Brussels - Belgium.
2   ADJ Diabetes Brasil, Research and Education - Sao Paulo - SP - Brazil.
3   Fórum Intersetorial para Combate às DCNTs no Brasil (FórumDCNTs), General Management - Sao Paulo - SP - Brazil.
4   Sociedade Brasileira de Diabetes (SBD), Education - Sao Paulo - SP - Brazil.
,
Belinda Ngongo
5   Pan African Women in Health (PAWH), Founder - Johannesburg - Gauteng - South Africa.
,
Luiz Menna-Barreto
6   Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades - Universidade de Sao Paulo (EACH-USP), Grupo Multidisciplinar de Desenvolvimento e Ritmos Biológicos (GMDRB) - Sao Paulo - SP - Brazil.
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In the present article, we explore the risks of circadian disruptions and impact on the sleep-wake cycle of individuals with diabetes during COVID-19 pandemic. The association between the duration and quality of sleep and the stability of glucose levels is well-established. Therefore, during the pandemic with changes and limitations in the exposure to cyclic cues that entrain the circadian rhythms, such as light-dark and social interactions, we hypothesize that the power and stability of circadian rhythms decrease if measures are not taken to intentionally create a routine that includes zeitgebers. Knowing that sleep-wake cycle disruptions impair melatonin production, immune system response and glucose metabolism, and that individuals with diabetes are at higher risk for poor prognosis when infected by SARS-CoV-2 (especially if their blood glucose is out of target), we recommend monitoring and advising these individuals towards strategies to maintain adequate sleep quality and duration as part of their preventive and protective measures during the new pandemic routine.

Diabetes Mellitus - Coronavirus Infections - Pandemics - Circadian Rhythm - Sleep Disorders - Circadian Rhythm - SARS Virus


Publication History

Received: 18 June 2020

Accepted: 14 July 2020

Article published online:
09 November 2023

© 2023. Brazilian Sleep Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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