DT Health: Diabetes & sleep deeply interrelated

People with diabetes may experience sleep issues, with some having trouble getting sleep and others having trouble remaining awake. In short, sleep and diabetes have a very interrelated connection, the reason why it is important to have a good sleep routine. To improve their sleep schedule, people should try to fall asleep at a scheduled time. Many people also have a late onset of sleep or disturbed sleep which directly affects their health negatively and makes it difficult to stay alert during the day. Insufficient sleep can have some deleterious effects on people with diabetes by increasing cortisol levels, and increase in insulin resistance leading to high blood sugar and oxidative stress.

“Restless leg syndrome is common in people with type 2 diabetes. One in five people with diabetes has this problem. In this condition, they can’t fall asleep due to pain or tingling in their lower limbs. Peripheral neuropathy caused by nerve damage can also occur with similar symptoms and numbness and is known to interfere with sleep. Both these issues need appropriate treatment and can be managed with medication,” said Dr A Sharda, Consultant Endocrinologist and Diabetologist, Manipal Hospital.

Diabetes can get worse if one has obstructive sleep apnea, which is usually associated with obesity, but thin or normal-weight people can also suffer from this condition. It causes insulin resistance and increases blood glucose levels.

“Snoring is a common symptom in patients resulting in poor quality of sleep at night and daytime sleepiness. It can increase blood pressure and reduce oxygenation to the brain. Mainly, these types of sleep disorders interfere with the ability of diabetic people to do self-care that is required for good control of diabetes like getting up in time, going out for a walk, checking their sugar level, and taking medicine and food on time,” she added. Doctors say if the patient has high sugar or poorly controlled diabetes, they keep getting up in the middle of the night to urinate or drink water as they feel thirsty. This can make them tired and result in bad sleep in the morning. The sugar further increases with people who have poor sleep at night.

High blood sugar levels cause frequent urination. Excess glucose in the body leads to the removal of water from the tissues leading to dehydration. Due to this, you may wake up frequently to hydrate your body and hence disturb sleep and it may be impacted due to low blood sugar symptoms, including trembling, lightheadedness, and perspiration.

“Stop using electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed, avoid alcohol or any caffeine right before bed,” said Dr Harsha R, Diabetologist, in association with Magniflex India. He said poor-quality mattress also cause discomfort, making it more difficult to fall asleep.