People with diabetes report many more instances of insomnia and restless leg syndrome than do nondiabetics. According to the online health professional network Medscape Today, up to 71 percent of diabetics complain of poor sleep quality. Obstructive sleep apnea is a particularly common problem for type 2 diabetics, and treating sleep apnea shows great potential for reducing the prevalence of type 2 diabetes.
Sleep Apnea Identification
Loud snoring during sleep or being unable to stay awake during the day are definitive signs of sleep apnea. In this disorder, a person's airway becomes obstructed by soft tissue in the throat collapsing during sleep, causing difficulty in breathing. Breathing can actually stop for several seconds, which then wakes the person slightly, just enough to start breathing again. This pattern is repeated throughout the night.
Sleep Apnea Effects
Sleep apnea increases the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; it also causes hazards such as falling asleep while driving. In addition, it causes headaches, weight gain and memory problems. It is also strongly correlated with type 2 diabetes.
Sleep Apnea and Diabetes
Research published in the journal "Endocrine Practice" estimates that sleep apnea affects 1/3 of all people with type 2 diabetes, and is much more prevalent in men. In the general population, it only affects about 4 to 9 percent of men and 2 to 4 percent of women. Because of this strong correlation, the International Diabetes Federation recommends that physicians assess all diabetic patients for the possibility of sleep apnea, and that sleep apnea patients be checked for high blood sugar.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
Daniel Einhorn, a medical director at California's Scripps Whittier Institute for Diabetes, states that successfully treating sleep apnea has the potential to improve blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetics more than any other action. Treatment has been shown to improve blood-sugar levels and insulin sensitivity. Sleep apnea is commonly treated by continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP. The person sleeps with a mask over the nose and mouth, which is connected by tubing to a machine that keeps the airway open with air pressure.
Other Factors
In type 1 diabetes, people can wake up because of sudden changes in glucose levels. Diabetics also can experience discomfort or pain from peripheral neuropathy, which causes pain, tingling and weakness in the hands and feet, and again, disrupts sleep. Diabetics report more problems with restless leg syndrome than the general population, which can contribute to insomnia.
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