Blood sugar changes may contribute to sleep disturbances, and diabetic consequences including neuropathy (damage to the nerves) and foot pain may also cause difficulty falling asleep.
We’ll go into great detail about diabetes and sleep on this page, including how technology can help us sleep better and some helpful hints for falling asleep more quickly.
Diabetes and Sleep
What Happens to Blood Sugar While You Sleep?
It has to do with whether the insulin hormone, which eliminates glucose from the blood, is functioning as it should. For someone with a regular sleep routine, blood sugar levels typically spike between 4 and 8 a.m. (We refer to it as the dawn effect.) By instructing muscle, fat, and liver cells to absorb blood glucose, insulin can manage the spike in a healthy individual and maintain stable blood glucose levels.
Due to insulin’s poor performance, blood sugar levels will rise in those who already have diabetes or are at risk of developing it.
How Does Diabetes Affect Sleep?
One in two individuals with type 2 diabetes is thought to experience sleep issues as a result of their blood sugar levels fluctuating and other diabetes-related symptoms. Insomnia and weariness the next day can result from both high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) during the night. Depression or anxiety related to the illness itself may also keep you up at night, as is the case with many chronic disorders.
The kidneys overcompensate by making you urinate more frequently when blood sugar levels are high. These frequent bathroom trips impair sleep at night. In addition to headaches and increased thirst, high blood sugar can also make it difficult to fall asleep.
On the other hand, low blood sugar levels at night can also result from skipping meals for an extended period or from taking diabetic medicine in the incorrect dosage. When you wake up, you can experience nightmares, perspire, or feel angry or perplexed.
If you have any concerning symptoms, such as exhaustion or difficulty sleeping, speak with your healthcare professional. They can assist in determining the cause and collaborate with you to maintain more consistent blood sugar levels.
How Are Sleep Problems Diagnosed?
If you have problems falling or staying asleep, feel drowsy throughout the day, have issues breathing while you’re asleep (including snoring), experience discomfort in your legs, or move or kick your legs while you’re asleep, your doctor will ask you about your sleep habits.
Your doctor may recommend you to a sleep specialist who will do a polysomnogram, a type of sleep study that measures activity during sleep. Your doctor can use the sleep study’s findings to accurately diagnose you and provide a safe, efficient course of treatment.
How diabetes technology can improve sleep quality
People with diabetes may be able to have better sleep because of diabetes technology.
Closed-loop hybrid systems
Hybrid closed-loop devices, sometimes referred to as an artificial pancreas, are intended to maintain more consistent blood sugar levels during the day and night and can lessen the frequency of hypoglycemia in those with type 1 diabetes.
There are benefits for parents of children with diabetes as well. Prior studies have demonstrated that when children were evaluated with closed-loop devices, nine out of ten parents reported having less difficulty falling asleep.
CGMs, or continuous glucose monitoring
Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and flash glucose monitors can notify users via smartphones when their blood sugar levels are increasing too high or decreasing too low. Anyone with diabetes who is prone to hypos and has hypo unawareness may find this helpful at night.
Compared to finger-prick testing, flash glucose monitors and CGMs also make it simpler to check your blood sugar levels at night or to check someone else’s by scanning their sensor.
Sleep trackers
Tracking your sleep is a fantastic approach to learning more about its quality.
In addition to health indicators and advice on how to get better sleep, wearable sleep trackers can provide you with information on your sleep patterns and behaviors.
How Can I Improve My Sleep?
In addition to medication, recommendations to promote sleep include:
- Learn how to breathe and relax.
- Play a CD with soothing or natural sounds.
- At least a few hours before going to bed, engage in regular activity.
- Avoid using alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine in the evening.
- Steer clear of or cut down on naps.
- Get out of bed and do something in another room if you are having trouble falling asleep. Return to bed as soon as you begin to feel drowsy.
- Try the first-line treatment for insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
How much sleep should I get?
The majority of experts advise that babies should obtain 12–17 hours of good sleep every night, children 9–13 hours, and adults 7-9 hours.
Our motivation, emotions, and energy levels can all be impacted by either too much or too little sleep. You most likely don’t get enough sleep if you feel exhausted all day long.
While most people occasionally experience sleep problems, if you consistently get less than seven hours of sleep each night, you may be at higher risk for negative health outcomes like depression, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and increased discomfort.
Conclusion
Your blood sugar levels and symptom control may be the cause of your difficulty sleeping if you have diabetes. Diabetes and sleep are closely connected, and poor management of one can negatively impact the other.
If you have ongoing sleep issues, especially if you’re having trouble carrying out any of your regular daily tasks, consult a healthcare provider.
To enhance the quality of your sleep, you might also want to think about making one or more lifestyle adjustments. Even a single change can have a significant impact. Since habits usually take three weeks to develop, it’s crucial to stay consistent every day.
For personalized care and deeper insights into managing diabetes, consider booking an appointment with our specialist. Your health deserves the best attention.
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