Spotlight on diabetes and sleep

Several recent studies investigated associations between sleep problems and diabetes.

First, a cross-sectional study from Norway, published by Diabetic Medicine on July 25, analyzed the relationship between sleep impairments and diabetes distress among 1,954 adults with type 2 diabetes. Based on survey data, it found higher diabetes distress scores in patients reporting less than seven hours of sleep, snoring, trouble falling asleep, waking up during the night, early wakening, trouble coping during daytime due to sleep problems, or restless legs. Associations between sleep impairments and distress were similar in men and women and persisted after adjustment for sociodemographic status, body mass index, use of insulin, and depression. “We suggest that the assessment of sleep quality should be part of routine diabetes care in people with [type 2 diabetes]. Efforts need to be made to raise awareness towards the relationship between sleep impairments and diabetes distress, which further may encourage these individuals to prioritize sleep and seek help when needed,” said the study authors.

A second study, conducted in Iran and published by the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders on July 14, focused on gestational diabetes. It used data from questionnaires completed at the first antenatal visit of 1,200 pregnant patients. Those whose husbands reported that they were persistently snoring had significantly higher fasting glucose levels, glucose levels on tolerance testing, and rates of gestational diabetes (19.1% vs. 9.3%) compared to soft snorers. After adjustment, occasional, frequent, or persistent snoring were all associated with gestational diabetes risk. “The potential value of incorporating sleep assessments into prenatal care warrants further exploration,” concluded the study authors.

However, another study, published by Diabetologia on Aug. 2, found that self-reported sleep problems were not an effective means to predict type 2 diabetes. The study used questionnaire data from more than 100,000 people in the U.K. and U.S. to determine if reporting shorter sleep duration or trouble falling asleep at night or waking in the middle of the night were associated with incident diabetes. The results showed that although sleep problems were associated with diabetes development, adding sleep problems to the QDiabetes risk score did not improve type 2 diabetes prediction and would not be helpful in a general population. “However, in resource-limited settings where biochemical markers cannot be measured, inclusion of sleep duration can modestly improve discrimination of type 2 diabetes,” the study authors said.