When snoring is beyond a joke.
Healthy sleep can be just as important as living a healthy lifestyle when you're awake.
At least 70% of people living with type 2 diabetes have some form of sleep disordered breathing 1 which can result in poor sleep, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and other serious health problems.
If you have type 2 diabetes, it's important to talk to your doctor if you are always tired or if your sleep is not restful.
Mr P
July 2014
Within weeks of starting treatment I was sleeping better, was wide awake in the morning, and no longer falling asleep during meetings. I now sleep through the night without tossing and turning - There are 2.6 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and studies show that many of these people also suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
- Studies have found that the percentage of people living with diabetes who also have OSA to be anywhere between 17 2 and 48 3 percent.
- While obesity is a contributing factor to both OSA and type 2 diabetes, studies have shown that OSA affects glucose and insulin4 levels even in people who are not overweight. Treating OSA may help patients manage glucose levels 2
- Diabetes and OSA present similar symptoms including obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, nocturnal sweating and nocturia, erectile dysfunction, unrestful sleep and fatigue.
Signs and symptoms
Usually, people with OSA find out because a spouse or bed partner notices them snore or stop breathing during sleep. Other common signs and symptoms include:
- Extreme sleepiness
- Frequent loud snoring
- Stopping breathing during sleep
- Choking episodes during sleep
- Overweight
- Morning headaches
- Depression
- Frequent trips to the bathroom during the night
- Waking with a dry mouth/sore throat
- Waking unrefreshed despite a 'normal' nights sleep
- Difficulty concentrating, irritability
- High blood pressure
Are you at risk?
If you answer YES to two or more of the following questions, then you are at risk of OSA and you should seek medical advice.
- Do you snore?
- Are you excessively sleepy during the day?
- Are you overweight?
- Do you wake feeling unrefreshed?
- Have you been told that you stop breathing in your sleep?
- Do you have a history of high blood pressure?
- Is your neck size more than 17” (male) or more than 16” (female)?
Take the Sleep Apnea Quiz
Interpretation based on your score:
0-8: You have a normal amount of sleepiness. 8-10: You have an average amount of sleepiness. 10-15: You may be excessively sleepy depending on the situation. You may want to seek medical attention. 16-24: You are excessively sleepy and should seek medical attention.For more information and to rent your ApneaLink Air, please click here
Get a home screening test now – reduced price for Diabetes.co.uk community members
If you are not sure about your symptoms and would like to have a simple home screening test before you chat to your doctor, we can help.
You can rent a small, portable device, called ResMed ApneaLink Air , that will measure your breathing and oxygen level overnight.
ApneaLink Air is a well-validated screening tool that will indicate whether your breathing during sleep is normal or whether you may have sleep disordered breathing that requires further investigation.
ApneaLink Air is usually £144 to rent including VAT but as a special offer to DCUK community members, we are offering it at a reduced rental of just £99 including VAT. To get this reductio, simply enter the discount code Diabetes15 during checkout.
Please note that a refundable deposit of £150 will be required as part of your rental agreement and return shipping is an additional £12.
2 West et al, 'Prevalence of OSA in men with type 2 diabetes', Thorax 61, 945-950, 2006
3 Einhorn et al, 'Prevalence of OSA in a population of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus', Endocr Pract, 2007; Foster et al, Diabetes Care, 2009
4 Arohnson et al, 'Impact of untreated OSA on gluciose control in type 2 diabetes', Am J of Respiratory and Crit Care Med, 2009
5 Harsch et al, 'Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment Rapidly Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Patients with OSA Syndrome', AJRCCM, 2004 ; Schahin et al, Med Sci Monit, 2008 ; Babu et al, 'Type 2 Diabetes, Glycemic Control, and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Obstructive Sleep Apnea', Arch Intern Med, 2005