While it is normal to feel sleepless sometimes, if the duration keeps increasing, it may have something to do with your health. According to doctors, insomnia is not always the cause of stress and anxiety issues, as it may be due to failing liver health as well. According to a new study by the University of Basel, Switzerland, MASLD, formerly known as non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, which affects nearly 30 per cent of adults, leads to sleep issues.

While scientists predict the prevalence may rise to more than 55 per cent of adults by 2040, more youngsters and children are likely to have the side effects. Doctors say MASLD, or Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, happens when fat builds up in your liver and may not cause symptoms. Over time, this fat in your liver can cause inflammation, leading to hepatitis.

According to researchers, the sleep-wake rhythm in patients with MASLD is completely different from those who are healthy.

In the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Network Psychology, the team said those with MASLD woke up 55 per cent more at night, and 113 per cent lay longer awake after having first fallen asleep—as compared to healthy volunteers.

Patients with MASLD also slept more during the day. “People with MASLD have significant fragmentation of their nightly sleep due to frequent awakenings and increased wakefulness,” said Dr. Sofia Schaeffer, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Basel.

The team recruited 46 men and women with either MASLD or cirrhosis and compared them with 8 healthy volunteers. Each participant was equipped with an actigraph to track gross motor activity with a sensor worn on the wrist, which tracked light, physical activity, and body temperature.

According to the results, the sleep pattern and quality, which are measured by the actigraph, were highly impaired in patients with MASLD. Further, 32 per cent of those with liver issues had severe psychological stress as well. The findings, according to Dr. Schaeffer, showed that “sleep fragmentation plays a role in the pathogenesis of human MASLD.”

“The underlying mechanism of MASLD also involves genetics, environmental factors, and activation of immune responses—ultimately driven by obesity and metabolic syndrome,” she added.

According to experts, MASLD has developed over several years. Also, you can have the condition without having symptoms, as you may not notice changes in your body unless you develop metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis or MASH. Doctors say MASH causes cirrhosis or severe liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis is bands of scar tissue in your liver. Some people with MASH have symptoms like:

• Severe pain and ache in your upper right abdomen, where your liver is positioned
• Extreme fatigue and weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Swollen belly
• Unexpected weight loss
• Yellowing of your skin and eyes

Doctors say undiagnosed and untreated MASLD may also increase your risk of developing serious conditions like cancer, including breast cancer and colon cancer, heart diseases, and even type 2 diabetes.

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