Diabetes-Related Complications Linked to Poor Sleep

Diabetes-related symptoms, including neuropathic pain, were associated with sleep disturbances and sleep-related impairment among patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a recent study.

The correlational, cross-sectional study included 90 participants with type 2 diabetes (mean age 57.4 years, 52.2% female). Diabetes-related symptoms included fatigue, neuropathic pain, distress and depression symptoms. The relationship between diabetes-related symptoms and sleep disturbances and sleep-related impairment was assessed using multiple linear regression analyses.
_____________________________________________________________
RELATED CONTENT
Does Sleep Apnea Influence Glycemic Control in Patients with Diabetes?
Study: Later Sleep/Wake Time Linked to Depression in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
_____________________________________________________________

After controlling for age, diabetes duration, depressive symptoms and distress, the researchers found that gender, hemoglobin A_1c, neuropathic pain, and fatigue were significantly associated with sleep disturbances. Analyses showed that these factors collectively explained 52% of the variation in sleep disturbances.

In addition, the researchers found that fatigue was significantly associated with sleep-related impairment after controlling for similar covariates.

“Findings suggested that diabetes-related symptoms, including neuropathic pain and fatigue, are strongly related to sleep disturbance and sleep-related impairment in adults with type 2 diabetes, underscoring the need to include detailed assessments of neuropathic pain and fatigue when evaluating sleep,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Zhu B, Quinn L, Fritschi C. Relationship and variation of diabetes related symptoms, sleep disturbance and sleep-related impairment in adults with type 2 diabetes [published online November 8, 2017. J Adv Nurs. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13482.