Sleep and Diabetes

There is a close relationship between sleep and diabetes. Diabetes and sleep problems often go hand in hand. Diabetes can cause sleep loss and not sleeping well can increase your risk of developing diabetes. When your blood sugar is really high, your kidneys try to get rid of it by urinating. As a result, you are probably getting up and going to the bathroom all night long and not sleeping well.

How much sleep a person needs varies depending on the individual. As an example of two sleep extremes, the famous scientists Einstein and Edison had very different sleep requirements. Edison thought sleep was a waste of time, but he did take naps during the day. In contrast, Einstein slept 10 hours a night.
Healthy adults require 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Today the average sleep time is less than this. Studies have found that the less time people sleep, the more likely they are to be overweight. Being overweight results in insulin resistance

High blood sugar is a red flag for sleep problems among people with diabetes. For another reason, people who are tired will tend to eat more because they want to get energy from somewhere. That can mean consuming sugar or other food that can spike the blood sugar levels. It thus becomes important for a diabetic to have a proper meal at regular intervals so that the blood sugars are in control which will help them to sleep better at night. If you get your blood sugar under control you will get a good night sleep and wake up fresh with lots of energy.

There is some evidence that sleep deprivation could lead to a pre-diabetic state. The body’s reaction to sleep loss can resemble insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. The job of insulin is to help the body utilize glucose for energy. In insulin resistance, the cell fails to use the hormone efficiently, resulting in high blood sugar. Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the cell can’t use the insulin properly. When insulin fails to do its job, high blood sugar builds in the body to the point where they can harm the eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.

There are a variety of reasons for disturbed sleep in people with diabetes. Some of the causes of sleep problems can include:

Sleep Apnea – Sleep apnea is common in most people but more frequent in people with type 2 diabetes. Sleep apnea is also linked with obesity, a risk factor for diabetes. Symptoms include daytime fatigue and exaction and nighttime snoring and irregular breathing. Weight loss is the most effective treatment so far.

Neuropathy and Leg Pain – Leg pain due to neuropathy is very common in people with diabetes which causes sleep problems. There are many medications to treat neuropathy which can have a beneficial effect.

Nighttime Lows – Another reason for disturbed sleep in people with diabetes especially type 1 diabetes and type 2 who are on insulin or sulfonylurea is night time hypoglycemia.
Women going through menopause may also experience drenching night sweats which can be confused with night time hypoglycemia. In this case, it becomes important to find out whether it is menopause or low blood sugar.

There may be a link between sleep and blood glucose levels, but it is seen that people who keep regular sleep schedules seem to maintain better blood sugar control, it is more of a challenge if sleep is disrupted. There is also some evidence that disrupted sleep affects insulin resistance and may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.
When it comes to diabetes and good sleep, healthy habits always help. There is some evidence that those who exercise have better quality and quantity of sleep (as long as you don’t exercise right before bedtime). Getting enough sleep and creating healthy sleep patterns are prescriptions for good diabetes health.