Late Bedtimes Increase Risk of Fatty Liver Disease
We’ve all been there. Suddenly, you realize it’s past midnight as you glance at your phone, watch a show simultaneously, or work on a project. “Just a few more minutes,” you tell yourself, but the minutes turn into hours, and before you know it, the sun is coming through the blinds. Going to bed late every night might not seem like a bad habit, especially in this linked world where we are all connected all the time, but it could be making you much more likely to get fatty liver disease.
You read that right. There is a stronger link between how much sleep you get and the health of your liver than you might think. We’ll talk about why staying up late is bad for you and what you can do to keep your liver healthy.
What does fatty liver disease mean?
As the name suggests, fatty liver disease is a situation in which the liver stores too much fat. It’s normal for the liver to have some fat, but when it makes up more than 5–10% of its weight, it’s a problem. There are mainly two kinds:
NAFLD, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is the most common type and is not caused by drinking too much alcohol. Lots of people who have it are overweight, have type 2 diabetes, or have high cholesterol.
AFLD, or alcoholic fatty liver disease, is brought on by drinking a lot of booze.
People usually think of booze when they think of liver damage, but NAFLD is becoming more common because of lifestyle choices, and not getting enough sleep is a big part of how it happens.
How staying up late can lead to fatty liver disease
So how does staying up late really lead to fatty liver disease? It’s not always easy to see the link, but there are a few things going on:
Problems with the circadian rhythm:
The circadian rhythm is our bodies’ internal clock that runs 24 hours a day. It controls many processes, such as our sleep-wake cycles, hormone production, and metabolism.
This normal rhythm is thrown off when you stay up late, which causes hormone imbalances, especially in melatonin and cortisol.
The sleep hormone melatonin also helps keep the fat metabolism in check. When you stay up late and don’t get enough melatonin, fat can build up in your liver.
Cortisol, the worry hormone, is higher when sleep is interrupted; on the other hand. High cortisol levels can make insulin resistance and fat storage worse, which are both things that can put you at risk for NAFLD.
Insulin resistance goes up:
Insulin resistance is when cells stop responding as well to insulin, a hormone that controls how much sugar is in the blood.
More insulin resistance is linked to staying up late and not getting enough good sleep.
When cells don’t react to insulin properly, the liver makes more glucose, which can be turned into fat and kept in the liver.
How the gut microbiota has changed:
The gut microbiome is the group name for the trillions of bacteria that live in our gut.
Having trouble sleeping can change the gut bacteria, which can cause an imbalance called dysbiosis.
Dysbiosis has been linked to more inflammation and metabolic diseases, such as NAFLD.
Choices that are bad for your health:
Staying up late often leads to bad habits.
Late-night snackers, processed foods, and coffee drinkers are more likely to eat sugary snacks and drinks with caffeine, which can make people gain weight and store fat in their liver.
They also tend to skip breakfast or eat late at night, which makes their digestion even less stable.
Not getting enough sleep also makes it harder to make good decisions.
Being inflamed:
Systemic inflammation rises when people don’t get enough sleep over a long period of time.
A big part of how NAFLD gets worse is inflammation.
The Threat That No One Can Hear
One of the scariest things about fatty liver disease is that in its early stages, it often doesn’t show any signs. Because of this, a lot of people who have NAFLD might not know they have it until it’s much worse.
As the illness gets worse, it can cause:
Liver fat (steatosis)
Inflammation of the liver called steatohepatitis
Scarring of the liver called fibrosis
Cirrhosis (severe swelling and damage to the liver)
Not working liver
Has liver cancer.
Healthy sleep habits and changes to your lifestyle can help protect your liver.
The good news is that fatty liver disease can often be fixed, especially when it is still early on. Getting enough sleep and making other changes to your lifestyle can greatly lower your risk and improve the health of your liver.
Set up a regular sleep schedule:
Aim to get between 7 and 9 hours of good sleep every night.
Daily, even on weekends, go to bed and wake up at the same time. This will help your circadian cycle stay in sync.
Set up a relaxing routine for going to bed.
Make your environment sleep-friendly:
Make sure it’s cool, dark, and quiet in your room.
At least an hour before bed, don’t use your phone, tablet, or computer.
Buy a mattress and pillows that are comfy.
Eat well and stay healthy:
Fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein, and other unprocessed foods should be your main focus.
Cut down on prepared foods, sugary drinks, and saturated and trans fats.
Take in more fiber.
Think about the Mediterranean diet.
Regularly work out:
Aim to do 150 minutes of aerobic exercise at a mild level or 75 minutes of aerobic exercise at a vigorous level each week.
Being active on a regular basis can help make insulin work better, lower liver fat, and improve health in general.
Stay at a healthy weight:
If you are overweight or fat, even a small amount of weight loss can make a big difference in the health of your liver.
Limit your drinking of alcohol:
Even drinking a small amount of booze can hurt your liver.
Take care of the underlying conditions:
If you have diabetes, high cholesterol, or any other health problem, you should work with your doctor to take care of it properly.
Keep getting checkups:
Seeing a doctor for regular checkups can help find problems early on.
Pay attention to your body.
Even though our bodies are very strong, they still need care and attention. Getting enough sleep and living a healthy lifestyle are very important for keeping your liver healthy and your general health in good shape. When you feel like staying up late, think about what could go wrong and decide to give your body the rest it needs instead. It will be good for your liver.