A new study published in Diabetologia emphasizes that the way children and teens with type 1 diabetes spend their 24 hours, especially their levels of physical activity, sleep, and sedentary time, can significantly influence their blood sugar control.

Researchers followed 83 young people aged 6–18 years from the Diactive-1 cohort over two years. Data on HbA1c levels and interstitial glucose were collected from medical records and continuous glucose monitors, respectively. The study revealed that movement patterns play a measurable role in glycemic outcomes.

More sedentary time (less sleep or any level of physical activity) was linked to worse blood sugar control, with higher HbA1c and interstitial glucose levels. In contrast, longer sleep duration and more time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were associated with lower HbA1c and glucose levels, when these activities replaced sedentary time.

Increasing MVPA led to a meaningful drop in both HbA1c and interstitial glucose, while better sleep showed moderate benefits in reducing HbA1c. These associations suggest that even modest shifts in daily routines, moving more, sitting less, and sleeping well, can support better metabolic stability in youth living with type 1 diabetes.