Sleep in Type 1 Diabetes: Implications for Glycemic Control and Diabetes Management

Abstract

Purpose of Review To highlight recent findings from studies of sleep in type 1 diabetes (T1D), with a focus on the role of sleep in self-management, the cognitive and psychosocial outcomes related to sleep disturbances, and factors associated with sleep disturbances specific to T1D. Recent Findings People with T1D experience higher rates of sleep disturbances than people without diabetes, and these disturbances have negative implications for glycemic control and diabetes management, as well as psychosocial and cognitive outcomes. Inconsistent sleep timing (bedtime and wake time) has emerged as a potential target for interventions, as inconsistent sleep has been linked with poorer glycemic control and adherence to treatment. Sleep-promoting interventions and new diabetes technology have the potential to improve sleep in people with T1D. Summary Sleep is increasingly considered a critical factor in diabetes management, but more multi-method and longitudinal research is needed. We emphasize the importance of sufficient and consistent sleep for people with T1D, and the need for providers to routinely assess sleep among patients with T1D.

Sweet dreams or bitter nightmare: a narrative review of 25 years of research on the role of sleep in diabetes and the contributions of behavioural science

“…As to sleep quality, adults with optimal scores had significantly lower HbA 1c levels compared to those with suboptimal scores, when based on self‐report (–0.19%, 95% CI –0.30 to –0.08), but not when based on objective measurements . Higher sleep variability (day‐to‐day changes in timing and duration) also appears to negatively affect glycaemic outcomes .…”

<p>Sleep-related disorders in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: current insights</p>

“…Perez et al 92 provided a more recent review of sleep duration, variability, and sleep architecture in youth with T1DM. The authors drew similar conclusions in that youth with T1DM appear to have insufficient and inconsistent sleep.…”

“…Such a notion might not only reflect greater sleep inconsistency in this population but also suggest that average sleep duration aggregated across all days in a week may not capture that gap. 92 Two additional meta-analytic studies focused on retinopathy in adults with T1DM. They each only identified one study, but these studies were not the same.…”

Sleep coach intervention for teens with type 1 diabetes: Randomized pilot study

“…Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) obtain shorter sleep duration and experience increased sleep disturbances compared to adolescents without T1D . While adolescents with T1D experience many of the same barriers to obtaining sufficient sleep as the general population (eg, academic and extracurricular commitments, electronics use, early school start times), they also experience diabetes‐related sleep disturbances, such as treating episodes of nocturnal hypoglycemia and awakenings related to device alarms …”