Diabetes expert Michael Dansinger, MD, PhD, provides an analysis of the relationship between diabetes and poor sleep quality.
Q: I have diabetes and I don’t sleep well. Is there a relationship and what can I do about it?
A: There is a relationship. People with diabetes generally have poor sleep quality and less sleep time. Sleep apnea, medications, lack of exercise, and abnormal glucose and hormone levels, which are more common in people with diabetes, can disrupt rest. Neuralgia and frequent nighttime urination (called nocturia) can cause patients to wake up frequently and have difficulty falling back to sleep, so rest can also be disrupted.
Restore good sleep is more difficult. But there are a variety of approaches used to manage diabetes that can help improve sleep quality and extend sleep duration. Healthy eating, exercise, and good sleep habits (such as going to bed at a reasonable time and taking a nice relaxing bath before bed) all have a substantial impact on diabetes and sleep quality.
More specifically, drinking less water before bed and lifting your legs high for a few hours at night can reduce the frequency of urination at night. This approach prevents residual fluid in the lower extremities from being reabsorbed into the body, thus avoiding the production of more urine. If you have sleep apnea, you should cooperate with your doctor for treatment. Finally, ask your doctor to adjust your medication (or add a new one) to help improve the quality of your sleep.