How Does Diabetes Impact Sleep? All You Need To Know!
Last Updated On June 5, 2026 by Robert Dowling
How does Diabetes impact Sleep? Diabetes, the world’s seventh greatest cause of mortality, is a condition in which an individual’s body is unable to produce sufficient insulin to keep blood sugar levels stable. Because of the decreased insulin production, blood glucose levels rise dramatically, increasing the likelihood of heart, lung, and kidney failure.
If you are struggling to sleep or compromising your sleeping hours, you should not neglect this condition and see a doctor immediately. Discuss your problem with the doctor or nurse so that he or she can help you come up with the best solution or treatment plan for your situation.
How Does Diabetes Impact Sleep?
Is Diabetes a Sleep Disruptor?
Diabetes exerts negative consequences on a person’s sleep and quality of sleep as the two are intertwined. Diabetes causes poor sleep quality, which causes blood sugar levels to rise and diabetes to worsen.
The ensuing article will examine how diabetes can affect sleep and how poor sleep impacts blood sugar as a consequence. With this, we’ll examine a typical sleeping disturbance that a diabetic patient must deal with as a result of their condition.
What Effect Does Diabetes Have on Sleep?
The majority of people with diabetes have trouble sleeping. They are prone to a variety of sleep issues, including:
- Having trouble falling and staying asleep.
- Not getting enough sleep.
- Sleeping on a normal basis with regular bedtimes and wake hours is difficult.
- An increased prevalence of sleep disorders.
Sleep problems may be caused by diabetes’ underlying causes, such as circadian rhythm disorder and metabolic hormone imbalance. Diabetes symptoms, on the other hand, might cause fragmented, uncomfortable, refreshing, or inadequate sleep.
Some of which are listed below: Diabetes can have a range of effects on sleep and quality of sleep.
Triggering Sleep Apnea
Among the most prevalent disorders identified in diabetic people is sleep apnea. It happens when a person’s breathing pauses and starts several times during sleep. This is because diabetic patients often have a lot of weight and fat buildup in their bodies, which makes it hard for air to move through their bodies.
Urinating frequently
People with diabetes who have high blood sugar levels may urinate excessively and frequently.Frequent urination at night can make it difficult to obtain a good night’s sleep, since the person would have to jump out of bed and go to the bathroom several times.
Hypoglycemia
Because diabetics must take medication to keep their blood sugar stable, their blood sugar levels frequently fall below what is required, resulting in hypoglycemia and inability to sleep.
Dehydration
Diabetic patients’ elevated blood glucose levels cause water to be absorbed from the tissues, making them feel parched during the night and requiring them to get up a lot to drink many glasses of water.
Sweating, dizziness, and numbness
Because of their excess weight and fat deposition in the body, people with diabetes and weight issues have reduced oxygen flow to their limbs, causing numbness or tingling and making it difficult to fall asleep. Elevated blood sugar concentrations and excessive drugs that lead to lower blood sugar levels might cause dizziness, heavy sweating, and other symptoms that make it hard to fall asleep.
Restless Legs Syndrome
It is a condition where the person has a strong desire to move their legs all the time, which stops them from sleeping and causes them to wake up a lot, making their sleep less good.
Irritability and Anxiety
Anxiety can be triggered by low blood sugar. Insomnia and difficulty sleeping are frequently caused by night-time worry. Dizziness as well as heart palpitations (a rapid or hammering heartbeat) are some of the symptoms of low blood sugar that can make it difficult to fall asleep.
How Can Diabetic Patients Deal With Sleep Problems?
The following are some suggestions to help diabetic individuals deal with and control sleep problems caused by their disease:
Make Blood Sugar Control a Priority!
Blood sugar levels that are extremely high or low can keep you awake at night. Keeping your blood sugar under your specified limit is among the best things you can do for good sleep with diabetes so you don’t have highs or lows that hinder you from sleeping soundly. Maintain your treatment regimen, which covers your personalized meals and activities, and take your medication as directed to achieve your blood sugar goal.
Maintain proper sleeping Hygiene.
A typical adult requires 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.Many individuals do not give themselves enough time to sleep, yet if you are diabetic, you must. Everyone, especially those with chronic diseases such as diabetes, should schedule adequate sleep just as they do other activities.Another thing to bear in mind is that naps should not be taken in excess. Naps must be kept brief — roughly 20 minutes — and should only be taken in the early afternoon. Any subsequent napping is likely to disrupt your capacity to sleep at night.
Maintaining a Regular Bedtime
Some of the guidelines for good sleep with diabetes are like those for the normal community. Having a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule—on weekdays and weekends—is at the forefront of quality sleep. Your body’s circadian rhythm works best if your sleep pattern is constant.
Before going to bed, avoid drinking alcohol.
Blood sugar levels are influenced by alcohol. Alcohol slows the release of sugar in the blood, and it requires your body two hours to fully metabolic alcohol. Stop drinking 4 hours prior to bedtime to lessen the chance of sleep problems. Not to mention, not drinking excessively before bedtime may save you from getting up to use the restroom.
Daytime Physical Activity
If you exercise throughout the day, you can sleep soundly at night, with a minimum of 10 minutes of aerobic activity indicating advantages. It’s because activity raises your internal temperature, which subsequently decreases back to normal later in the day, causing tiredness and assisting you to fall asleep. A workout can also aid in the burning of calories and the maintenance of a healthy weight. Even a tiny difference in weight can aid in controlling your diabetes if you’re overweight. It is suggested that you workout 5 to 6 hours before going to bed. Exercising early in the day will lead to better sleep at night.
De-Stressing Techniques
Everyone experiences stress, but people with diabetes are typically put under considerably greater strain as a result of managing a chronic illness on top of ordinary concerns. When stress gets excessive, it might disrupt your sleep. When the body is stressed, the chemicals cortisol and adrenaline are released, which control the fight-or-flight reflex in tense or dangerous situations.
These hormones usually fade and the body calms after the danger is eliminated. However, with prolonged stress, the nervous system is aggravated, and the elevated adrenaline and cortisol can cause tossing and turning and also a restless feeling.
It’s critical to discover strategies to de-stress before going to bed to avoid burnout. Mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, and meditation, according to research, can help you sleep better.
Turn off all light sources.
Bright light — even smartphone light — not just interrupts sleep but also messes with metabolism and weight. According to a study, exposure to blue light was associated with elevated insulin resistance, or the body’s inability to transport blood sugar from the blood to the cells that can be used for energy. According to another study, blue light contact at night may raise the risk of excessive weight gain. These studies emphasise the significance of putting off light sources such as your phone, television, and computer before going to bed.
Examine for Sleep Apnea
People who have type 2 diabetes are more likely to have sleep apnea, which is a sleep disorder, than people without diabetes.7 out of 10 people with type 2 diabetes suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.Sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing begins and ends while you’re sleeping, can be caused by being overweight and having extra fat in your neck. This irregular breathing while you’re sleeping reduces your body’s oxygen supply and makes it hard to get a good night’s sleep.
Loud snoring, excessive tiredness throughout the day, irritation, and morning headaches are all signs of sleep apnea. Check with your doctor about a sleep exam if you or your spouse think you suffer from sleep apnea. Breathing equipment, including a positive airway pressure (PAP) machine, as well as changes in lifestyle, like losing weight, can be used to treat sleep apnea.
Final Verdict –
Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial to staying healthy and joyful. Nevertheless, if a person has diabetes, his or her sleep may be impacted by elevated blood sugar levels caused by the disease or low sugar levels caused by a high consumption of drugs to lower sugar levels. The above are some of the ways that diabetes can impact a person’s sleep and quality of sleep, and the tips listed above can help manage and protect against this negative impact of the disease on sleep patterns. In any situation, you should consult your doctor to stay on the safe side and prevent any serious issues in the near future.
