Not sleeping too well? You may have diabetes
29-12-2011
There are a number of reasons that you might be having trouble sleeping, from the psychological through to the physical. One concerning reason is that you may have diabetes. New research shows that many young people with type 1 diabetes have trouble getting a decent night’s sleep, which can lead to increasing health and behaviour problems, like declining control of blood sugar and failing educational results.
Young people suffering from type 1 diabetes can experience a number of sleep abnormalities including daytime sleepiness, lighter sleep and sleep apnea, which can all have negative consequences for the control of blood sugar.
The study followed the sleep health of 50 young people with type 1 diabetes and compared the results with a control group. When the groups were compared they found that the young diabetics spent more of their sleep time in the lighter sleep cycles compared to those without diabetes.
Spending more time in the N2 part of the sleep cycle and not as much time in the N3 part can lead to higher glucose levels, behavioural difficulties, reduced quality of life, lower school marks, depression and a number of other problems.
If you are concerned about your teenager’s sleep cycle and health then seek professional medical advice.
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