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. 2023 May;40(5):e15066.
doi: 10.1111/dme.15066. Epub 2023 Feb 23.

The impact of fear of hypoglycaemia on sleep in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Talia A Hitt  1 , Jennifer A Hershey  1 , Diana Olivos-Stewart  1 , Emily Forth  1 , Fiona Stuart  1 , Patrik Garren  1 , Jonathan Mitchell  2   3 , Colin P Hawkes  1   2 , Steven M Willi  1   2 , Julie M Gettings  1   4
Affiliations

The impact of fear of hypoglycaemia on sleep in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Talia A Hitt et al. Diabet Med. 2023 May.

Abstract

Aims: Fear of hypoglycaemia (FOH) can contribute to impaired sleep for adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and parents of children with T1D, although it is unknown how FOH may affect sleep for adolescents with T1D. This study examines the relationship between adolescent FOH and sleep and assessed the influences of continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump use.

Methods: Adolescents ages 14-18 years with T1D completed questionnaires evaluating FOH (Child Hypoglycemia Fear Survey) and sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI). Analyses included linear and logistic regression, t-tests and Fisher's exact tests.

Results: Participants included 95 adolescents (52 female) with a median (IQR) age of 16.5 (15.3-17.7) years and a T1D duration of 5.7 (2.5-9.6) years. Analyses showed increased FOH-Worry subscale scores were associated with reduced sleep duration (β = -0.03, p = 0.042, adjusting for BMI z-score, race and ethnicity) and increased sleep disturbances (OR = 1.1, p = 0.038, adjusting for race and ethnicity). Frequent CGM users had longer sleep duration (average 7.5 h) compared with infrequent or non-CGM users (average = 6.8 h; p = 0.029), and pump users had overall improved sleep health as determined by PSQI score (p = 0.019). Technology use did not have significant interactions in the relationships between FOH and sleep duration or sleep disturbances.

Conclusions: Worrying about hypoglycaemia was associated with impaired sleep for adolescents with T1D. Diabetes technology users have some sleep improvements, but CGM and pump use do little to alter the relationship between FOH and sleep outcomes.

Keywords: CGM; adolescent; diabetes technology; fear of hypoglycaemia; sleep disturbances; sleep duration; type 1 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: S.M.W. is on an advisory board for Boehringer-Ingelheim and on an advisory panel for diversity and equity at Medtronic. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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