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Review
. 2020 Feb 11:12:101-123.
doi: 10.2147/NSS.S152555. eCollection 2020.

Sleep-related disorders in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: current insights

Michelle M Perfect  1
Affiliations
Review

Sleep-related disorders in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: current insights

Michelle M Perfect. Nat Sci Sleep. .

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune condition that results from destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. Several reviews have concluded that sleep contributes to poor glycemic control, diabetes management, and diabetes-related complications in individuals with T1DM and represents an untapped opportunity for intervention. However, at the current juncture, the American Diabetes Association's Standards of Medical Care are devoid of recommendations about how to address sleep in the management of T1DM. This article summarizes reviews of sleep in youth and adults with T1DM and empirical studies that have examined various sleep parameters ranging from sleep disturbances (general, perceived sleep quality, sleepiness, awakenings, and sleep efficiency), sleep duration, sleep consistency, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and sleep architecture. The data show that many individuals with T1DM sleep less than recommendations; individuals with the poorest sleep have difficulties with diabetes management; and sleep deficiency including SDB often corresponds to several disease morbidities (neuropathy, nephropathy, etc). Mixed findings exist regarding direct associations of various sleep parameters and glycemic control. SDB appears to be just as prevalent, if not more, than other conditions that have been recommended for universal screening in individuals with T1DM. The article concludes with recommendations for collaborative research efforts to further elucidate the role of sleep in diabetes-related outcomes; investigations to test behavioral strategies to increase sleep quantity and consistency; and considerations for clinical care to address sleep.

Keywords: and consistency; quality; sleep duration; type 1 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart highlighting inclusion of articles for manuscript.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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