In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleBlood Sugar and SleepCommon Sleep DisordersWhy Sleep Is ImportantBest Proven Ways to Sleep BetterFAQs
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Blood Sugar and Sleep
Common Sleep Disorders
Why Sleep Is Important
Best Proven Ways to Sleep Better
FAQs
Diabetes is a chronic disease that causes blood sugar to become too high. This occurs when your body cannot make enough insulin, your cells are resistant to the insulin it makes, or a combination of both. According to theNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, it is estimated that 10.5% of the U.S. population has diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes, accounts for 90% to 95% of people with diabetes, per theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.
In this article, you will learn more about the importance of sleep and discover ways to sleep better when you have diabetes.
The 8 Best Stretches for a Better Night’s Sleep
How Blood Sugar Levels Can Affect Your Rest
Experiencing hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) at night can affect your rest. High blood sugar levels can cause increased thirst and increased urination. When experienced at night, frequent trips to the bathroom can interrupt sleep. Using the bathroom more than two times per night is clinically significant and has been self-reported to be the leading cause of sleep disturbance. Low blood sugar can cause night sweats, increased heartbeat and palpitations, resulting in nighttime awakening and thus impacting rest.
If you’ve had diabetes for a long time or your blood sugars have been chronically elevated, you may experience neuropathy, damage to the nerves. According to theNIDDK, peripheral neuropathy affects the legs, arms, feet, and hands and can cause cramping, pain, numbness and tingling. For many people with diabetes, these symptoms can be worse at night.
Common Sleep Disorders in People with Diabetes
According to a 2022 meta-analysis published inThe Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, people with diabetes are more likely to experience insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
People with OSA are more likely to have diabetes, and people with diabetes are at increased risk of developing OSA. When upper airways are blocked, people with OSA experience broken sleep and intermittent hypoxia (low levels of oxygen in your tissues), causing inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal disruptions. These factors contribute to insulin resistance, which can cause blood sugars to rise.
Why a Good Night’s Sleep Is Important When You Have Diabetes
Adequate sleep is necessary for overall health because it plays an important role in regulating appetite, mood and energy. For people with diabetes, less sleep can cause daytime drowsiness which can impact how you manage your diabetes. How you eat, when you eat and what you eat may change, which can affect your blood sugar. According to the CDC, in addition, insufficient sleep may cause:
TheAmerican Diabetes Associationrecommends that a thorough assessment of sleep quality and sleep disorders be done in people with diabetes.
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6 Proven Ways to Sleep Better When You Have Diabetes
Getting better sleep may take time, but it’s worth the effort. Here are some tips to help you get started. Choose one to tackle at a time so you don’t become overwhelmed.
Get Your Blood Sugars in Better Control
If you are experiencing blood sugar levels that are way off your target levels,getting them in rangecan help you to sleep better. If you’re not sure what these levels should be, discuss them with your health care provider or certified diabetes care and education specialist.
Simple tweaks to your diabetes regimen may help you to get your numbers in a safe range before bed. For example, eating more vegetables at dinner and less starch,going for a short, low-impact walk, practicing deep breathing or stretching, increasing or decreasing your medicine before dinner, or changing the timing of your medication can have an impact on blood sugars. Because there are so many variables that impact blood sugar, troubleshooting with your health care provider will assist you in finding better outcomes.
Treat Your Comorbidities
According to a 2018 article published in theJournal of Diabetes Investigation, diabetes and sleep disorders co-exist. Therefore, in addition to getting your blood sugars in better control, seeking medical treatment for your other health condition can help your diabetes and sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), for example, causes a person’s breathing to start and stop throughout the night due to recurrent upper airway collapse. It is associated with full-body inflammation, insulin resistance and oxidative stress. The worse it is, the more it will impact your blood sugar levels. Treatment may include weight loss, identifying and treating the upper airway obstruction, and using a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP), that helps to keep your airways open while you are asleep.
Have a Bedtime Routine
For better sleep hygiene, you’ll benefit from establishing a nighttime regimen that is consistent, comfortable and relaxing. Having a bedtime routine that fits your life and one you can implement daily is best. This may include:
Comfort is also important. Wear loose-fitting clothing, and choose bedding and pillows that fit your preferences. Make your room dark and keep the temperature and humidity controlled. Aim to go to sleep and wake up around the same time each night and day. These behaviors canincrease your sleep qualityand duration, which can improve your blood sugars.
Turning off Electronic Devices at Night
Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise has manybenefits for people with diabetes. Exercise reduces insulin resistance, meaning your body becomes more sensitive to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps to move sugar from your blood to your cells. According to theCDC, regular exercise not only improves blood sugar but is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, healthier weight and better sleep. Start small, do something you enjoy, and build up gradually; just 10 minutes a day is better than nothing. Before starting any new regimen, be sure to get clearance from your health care provider.
Avoid Caffeine in the Afternoon and at Night
Caffeine is a stimulant and its effects are highly variable. Your biggest boost of caffeine typically occurs 30 minutes after consumption; however, the effects of it can last anywhere from two to ten hours, per a 2018 article inRisk Management and Healthcare Policy. Factors such as the amount of caffeine consumed, caffeine metabolism, tolerance and half-life (how long it takes to metabolize caffeine) all play a role in how someone will respond. Drinking it later in the afternoon or evening canincrease your alertness, make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep, and reduce your quality of sleep. For these reasons, it is often recommended to avoid caffeine consumption six to eight hours before bed.
If you have diabetes and are drinking caffeine in the late afternoon or evening due to daytime fatigue, that late coffee can disrupt your evening sleep further, exacerbating the cycle. If possible, try to cut back or reduce it altogether and see if your sleep and alertness improve.
The Bottom Line
Sleep is one of the many things you do daily to keep yourself healthy. Sleep is important for overall health and longevity, it plays a role in regulating hormones, appetite and mood. Lack of sleep may be a risk factor for developing diabetes and can contribute to increased blood sugar in people who already have diabetes.
Blood sugar management is also important for healthy sleep. The two seem to go hand in hand. Therefore, if you are having trouble managing your diabetes and sleeping, starting to implement somesimple strategiesmay help. Work toward establishing a good sleep routine and moving more daily. If you are worried that you have a sleep problem or a sleep disorder, reach out to your health care provider for help.
The Best Supplements for Better Sleep, According to a Doctor
Frequently Asked QuestionsResearch suggests that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is associated with insufficient sleep. Lack of sleep can make you feel tired during the day. Fatigue may influence you to eat more and move less, twofactors that can impact blood sugars. Inadequate sleep can raise cortisol levels, increase inflammation and reduce insulin sensitivity, all factors that cause blood sugars to rise. In addition, less than seven hours of sleep per night is associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance.Getting adequate and better-quality sleep may help with insulin sensitivity and appetite regulation, which can have an impact on blood sugar. If you currently don’t sleep enough, sleeping more may also assist in weight loss, which on its own can improve blood sugar. Lastly, getting a good night’s rest improves your energy for the day which canimpact your decision-making and diabetes care. You are more likely to take better care of your diabetes when you feel energized.The recommended amount of sleep for adults per night is seven to nine hours. Studies have shown that sleeping more than nine hours per night increases the risk of diabetes. If you have diabetes and are sleeping too much and still feel tired or are having trouble managing your blood sugar, it is important to speak to your health care provider to rule out any other underlying conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Research suggests that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is associated with insufficient sleep. Lack of sleep can make you feel tired during the day. Fatigue may influence you to eat more and move less, twofactors that can impact blood sugars. Inadequate sleep can raise cortisol levels, increase inflammation and reduce insulin sensitivity, all factors that cause blood sugars to rise. In addition, less than seven hours of sleep per night is associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance.
Getting adequate and better-quality sleep may help with insulin sensitivity and appetite regulation, which can have an impact on blood sugar. If you currently don’t sleep enough, sleeping more may also assist in weight loss, which on its own can improve blood sugar. Lastly, getting a good night’s rest improves your energy for the day which canimpact your decision-making and diabetes care. You are more likely to take better care of your diabetes when you feel energized.
The recommended amount of sleep for adults per night is seven to nine hours. Studies have shown that sleeping more than nine hours per night increases the risk of diabetes. If you have diabetes and are sleeping too much and still feel tired or are having trouble managing your blood sugar, it is important to speak to your health care provider to rule out any other underlying conditions.
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