A study in the Frontiers in Network Physiology journal spilled some eye-opening details—people with MASLD wake up 55 percent more often at night and stay awake 113 percent longer after dozing off compared to healthy folks. Plus, they tend to nap more and longer during the day. MASLD, which used to go by the name non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is the most common liver problem out there. It hits about 30 percent of adults and 7 to 14 percent of kids and teens. Experts reckon by 2040, it’ll affect over 55 percent of grown-ups. Past studies hinted that messed-up body clocks and sleep habits might play a role in MASLD kicking in, but this new research from the University of Basel in Switzerland is the first to actually show how sleep patterns differ in MASLD patients compared to healthy people.
This Frontiers in Network Physiology study found that MASLD patients wake up 55 percent more at night and linger awake 113 percent longer after falling asleep, unlike healthy people. On top of that, they catch more shut-eye during the day, both in frequency and length. Dr. Sofia Schaeffer, a postdoc researcher at the University of Basel, put it plainly: “Folks with MASLD have their night sleep interrupted all the time—they wake up a lot and stay awake longer.”
The team rounded up 46 adult men and women who had MASLD or MASLD with cirrhosis. They stacked them up against 8 patients who had cirrhosis not tied to MASLD. Then, they compared all these folks to 16 healthy volunteers of about the same age. Everyone in the study wore an actigraph on their wrist—a little gadget with a sensor that tracks movement, light, activity, and body temperature around the clock.
The results showed that sleep patterns and quality, as tracked by the actigraph, were off in a similar way for patients with MASLD, MASLD with cirrhosis, and non-MASLD-related cirrhosis. Also, 32 percent of MASLD patients said they dealt with sleep troubles because of mental stress, while only 6 percent of the healthy group mentioned the same.
MASLD Messes with Your Sleep
This study’s big takeaway is how MASLD throws a wrench into your night. Waking up more and staying awake longer isn’t just annoying—it’s a pattern that stands out compared to people without the condition. Dr. Schaeffer’s words really hit home: those constant wake-ups are a real thing for these patients.
Who They Studied and How
They didn’t just pick anyone—they got 46 adults with MASLD or its tougher cousin, MASLD with cirrhosis, into the mix. Then they checked them against 8 folks who had cirrhosis from something else. To keep it fair, they also brought in 16 healthy people around the same age. Everyone slapped on an actigraph—a cool wrist device that keeps tabs on your moves, the light around you, and even your body heat, all day and night.
What They Found Out
The numbers don’t lie—whether it was MASLD, MASLD with cirrhosis, or cirrhosis from another cause, sleep took a hit across the board. The actigraph showed their sleep quality and habits were all jumbled up in a similar way. And that stress thing? A whopping 32 percent of MASLD patients blamed their shaky sleep on mental pressure, while only 6 percent of healthy folks said the same.
This whole thing paints a picture—if you’ve got MASLD, your sleep’s probably not what it used to be. It’s not just about the liver; it’s about how you’re resting (or not) too. Makes you wonder how much those late-night wake-ups are tied to what’s going on inside.
