Privação de sono como determinante de disfunções metabólicas

Abstract

Sleep deprivation has progressively emerged as an important determinant of metabolic dysfunctions and cardiometabolic diseases. Contemporary lifestyle habits, characterized by reduced sleep duration, circadian dysregulation, and increased exposure to artificial light, have contributed to the growing prevalence of insufficient sleep in the population. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between sleep deprivation and the development of metabolic dysfunctions, emphasizing the main pathophysiological mechanisms involved. This is an integrative literature review with a qualitative and descriptive approach, conducted through searches in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and SciELO databases. Studies published between 2016 and 2026, available in full text and directly related to the proposed theme, were included. The findings demonstrated that sleep deprivation promotes important hormonal, inflammatory, and metabolic alterations, including reduced leptin levels, increased ghrelin secretion, insulin resistance, impaired glucose metabolism, activation of systemic inflammatory pathways, and increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, circadian disruption and chronic sleep restriction were associated with adverse cardiometabolic outcomes and greater susceptibility to chronic noncommunicable diseases. The analyzed evidence suggests that insufficient sleep acts as an important modifiable risk factor for metabolic disorders, reinforcing the need for public health strategies focused on sleep quality and duration. Therefore, interventions aimed at improving sleep habits may represent low-cost and high-impact measures for the prevention and management of metabolic dysfunctions.