INFOGRAPHICWELL-BEING

Getting Better Sleep with Type 1 Diabetes

Reviewed by Tama Porter, M.D.
April 17, 2025
Sleep and Type 1 Diabetes Good quality sleep is important for everyone but can be particularly challenging for people with type 1 diabetes. Children and adults with type 1 diabetes report lower sleep quality. Diabetes can cause sleep disturbances that impact the quality of the sleep you get. Poor sleep can impact you and your body’s ability to cope with the condition. Common Sleep Disturbances with Diabetes High blood sugar High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can make you thirstier and need to pee more often. You may wake during the night to drink or use the bathroom. High blood sugar levels may have an overall negative impact on your circadian rhythm (your sleep-wake cycle). High blood sugar levels may affect your body’s ability to enter the healing mode you need during sleep. This can impact overall health, says Eliot LeBow, a diabetes-focused psychotherapist, certified diabetes care education specialist (CDCES), and author of Parenting Children with Diabetes. Low blood sugar People with diabetes may wake during the night to treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), often by eating quick-acting sugary food such as candy or glucose tablets. This can make it hard to fall back asleep. Continuous glucose monitor alerts A continuous glucose monitor, or CGM, can alert you when your blood sugar is out of range, creating another sleep disturbance if it happens during the night. An insulin pump An insulin pump can make it hard for people who wear them to get comfortable in bed. Other common reasons people might have trouble sleeping There are plenty of reasons that people may have difficulty getting good quality sleep that aren’t purely because of their diabetes. Other sleep disturbances might include: Stress or anxiety Sleep apnea (Over 50% of people with type 1 diabetes have it.) Parenting responsibilities How Poor Sleep Can Affect Diabetes The quality and quantity of your sleep might also be a factor in blood sugar management. Lack of adequate sleep, even for a single night, impacts insulin sensitivity, affecting glycemic control. Research suggests that those with poor sleep quality or who sleep less than 6 hours per night are less likely to have well-managed blood sugar levels. The relationship between sleep and diabetes management is still being studied. Researchers believe that poor or irregular sleep may cause stress or an imbalance in the nervous system, which can make it more difficult to manage blood sugar. Lack of good sleep can also affect your memory, your attentiveness, and your abilities to plan ahead and adapt to situations. All of these skills are important for managing your condition. Tips for Getting a Better Night’s Sleep Establish a bedtime routine A consistent, calming sleep routine can help you wind down before bedtime. Consider making your bedroom a no-screen zone to reduce blue light exposure. Engage in movement during the day Being more active during the day can help you feel more tired at night and sleep more deeply. Turn down the temperature A cooler room might help you sleep. Try turning your thermostat to around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Manage your stress and anxiety Anxiety or stress can impact your ability to fall asleep. If you find this to be true, try adding meditation, yoga, or reading into your bedtime routine and think about finding a mental health professional for support. Consider a closed-loop system A closed-loop system automatically administers the appropriate amount of insulin based on your blood sugar levels. Its ability to learn your blood sugar patterns and constantly monitor them will not only give you peace of mind but can keep you in a deeper sleep, LeBow says. Talk to your provider and health care team about: Establishing a consistent insulin dosing and food routine before bed Adjusting CGM alarms to reduce sleep disturbance without getting in the way of your goals and safety. Sources: Farabi, S. S. (2016). Type 1 diabetes and sleep. Diabetes Spectrum: A Publication of the American Diabetes Association. Perfect, M. M. (2020). Sleep-related disorders in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: Current insights. Nature and Science of Sleep. Reutrakul, S. et al. (2016). Sleep characteristics in type 1 diabetes and associations with glycemic control: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2024) Living with diabetes.

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Sleep and Type 1 Diabetes

Good quality sleep is important for everyone but can be particularly challenging for people with type 1 diabetes.

Children and adults with type 1 diabetes report lower sleep quality.

Diabetes can cause sleep disturbances that impact the quality of the sleep you get.

Poor sleep can impact you and your body’s ability to cope with the condition.

Common Sleep Disturbances with Diabetes

High blood sugar

High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can make you thirstier and need to pee more often. You may wake during the night to drink or use the bathroom.

High blood sugar levels may have an overall negative impact on your circadian rhythm (your sleep-wake cycle).

High blood sugar levels may affect your body’s ability to enter the healing mode you need during sleep. This can impact overall health, says Eliot LeBow, a diabetes-focused psychotherapist, certified diabetes care education specialist (CDCES), and author of Parenting Children with Diabetes.

Low blood sugar

People with diabetes may wake during the night to treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), often by eating quick-acting sugary food such as candy or glucose tablets. This can make it hard to fall back asleep.

Continuous glucose monitor alerts

A continuous glucose monitor, or CGM, can alert you when your blood sugar is out of range, creating another sleep disturbance if it happens during the night.

An insulin pump

An insulin pump can make it hard for people who wear them to get comfortable in bed.

Other common reasons people might have trouble sleeping

There are plenty of reasons that people may have difficulty getting good quality sleep that aren’t purely because of their diabetes.

Other sleep disturbances might include:

  • Stress or anxiety
  • Sleep apnea (Over 50% of people with type 1 diabetes have it.)
  • Parenting responsibilities

How Poor Sleep Can Affect Diabetes

The quality and quantity of your sleep might also be a factor in blood sugar management.

Lack of adequate sleep, even for a single night, impacts insulin sensitivity, affecting glycemic control. Research suggests that those with poor sleep quality or who sleep less than 6 hours per night are less likely to have well-managed blood sugar levels.

The relationship between sleep and diabetes management is still being studied. Researchers believe that poor or irregular sleep may cause stress or an imbalance in the nervous system, which can make it more difficult to manage blood sugar.

Lack of good sleep can also affect your memory, your attentiveness, and your abilities to plan ahead and adapt to situations. All of these skills are important for managing your condition.

Tips for Getting a Better Night’s Sleep

Establish a bedtime routine

A consistent, calming sleep routine can help you wind down before bedtime. Consider making your bedroom a no-screen zone to reduce blue light exposure.

Engage in movement during the day

Being more active during the day can help you feel more tired at night and sleep more deeply.

Turn down the temperature

A cooler room might help you sleep. Try turning your thermostat to around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Manage your stress and anxiety

Anxiety or stress can impact your ability to fall asleep. If you find this to be true, try adding meditation, yoga, or reading into your bedtime routine and think about finding a mental health professional for support.

Consider a closed-loop system

A closed-loop system automatically administers the appropriate amount of insulin based on your blood sugar levels. Its ability to learn your blood sugar patterns and constantly monitor them will not only give you peace of mind but can keep you in a deeper sleep, LeBow says.

Talk to your provider and health care team about:

  • Establishing a consistent insulin dosing and food routine before bed
  • Adjusting CGM alarms to reduce sleep disturbance without getting in the way of your goals and safety