Poor Sleep, Poor Health: A Diabetes Connection
October 6, 2009

By Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service

INTELIHEALTH - A study of more than 2,000 people has linked sleep problems with diabetes.

Researchers from the University of Calgary did the study. It involved 2,149 people who had visited a sleep clinic for testing. They were tested for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and asked about their level of daytime sleepiness.

Obstructive sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing for short periods while they sleep. This occurs because the airway is blocked, or obstructed, during sleep. People with obstructive sleep apnea also tend to snore. They may feel sleepy during the day, have headaches in the morning, and find it hard to concentrate.

In this study, people with the most severe form of obstructive sleep apnea also were more likely to have diabetes. Both conditions are more common in people who are overweight. But even after taking people's weight into account, the two conditions were still linked. People with severe OSA were about twice as likely to have diabetes as people who had less severe apnea.

The researchers then divided people with severe OSA by self-reported sleepiness. People who reported feeling very sleepy during the day were 2.5 times as likely to have diabetes. People who said they didn't feel sleepy were not at increased risk for diabetes.

Other studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can lead to insulin resistance, an early sign of type 2 diabetes.

To treat OSA, doctors first recommend weight loss, avoiding alcohol or other sedatives at bedtime. Dentists also make devices to treat the condition for mild to moderate sleep apnea. Similar to a mouth guard used in sports, a device is placed in the mouth at night. It pushes the lower jaw forward to help keep the airway open or it retains the tongue to allow for better air flow. Further treatment options include certain types of surgery or the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.

The study appears in the October issue of the journal Thorax.