Diabetes and Sleep

"Sleep for a Good Cause

There are many reasons to get a good night’s sleep. If you have diabetes, there are even more. Learn how sleep affects your diabetes management.

A good night’s sleep can feel like a luxury. Balancing school, work, physical activity, and your family may cause you to go to bed later than you’d like. One in three US adults isn’t getting enough sleep, and over time, this can increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression.

If you have diabetes, too little sleep negatively affects every area of your management, including how much you eat, what you choose to eat, how you respond to insulin, and your mental health.

Proper rest isn’t just important for your diabetes management—it may also put you in a better mood and give you more energy!

How Much Do You Need?

Being well rested is important for people of all ages to stay in good health. How many hours of sleep you need changes as you age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Children and teens need more.

Learn more about how much sleep you need.

Complications From Lack of Sleep

If you get less than 7 hours of sleep per night regularly, your diabetes will be harder to manage. Too little sleep can:

• Increase insulin resistance.
• Make you hungrier the next day and reduce how full you feel after eating.
• Make you more likely to reach for junk foods—those that are high in carbs and sugar.
• Make it harder to lose weight.
• Raise blood pressure and seriously increase the risk of a heart attack.
• Make your immune system less able to fight infections.
• Increase your risk of depression and anxiety..."
  Diabetes and Sleep 

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

"Getting enough sleep is important for people of all ages to stay in good health. Learn how much sleep you need.

People often cut back on their sleep for work, for family demands, or even to watch a good show on television. But if not getting enough sleep is a regular part of your routine, you may be at an increased risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, poor mental health, and even early death.

Even one night of short sleep can affect you the next day. Not only are you more likely to feel sleepy, you’re more likely to be in a bad mood, be less productive at work, and be involved in a motor vehicle crash.

How Much Sleep Do I Need?

How much sleep you need changes as you age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend:

Age Group

Recommended Hours of Sleep^1,2

Infant

4–12 months

12–16 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

Toddler

1–2 years

11–14 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

Pre-school

3–5 years

10–13 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

School Age

6–12 years

9–12 hours per 24 hours

Teen

13–18 years

8–10 hours per 24 hours

Adult

18–60 years

7 or more hours per night.."

Sleep

Getting enough sleep

"Are you getting enough sleep?

Getting enough sleep is important for people of all ages to stay in good health. Read more to learn how much sleep you need.

People will often cut back on their sleep for work, for family demands, or even to watch a good show on television. But if not getting enough sleep is a regular part of your routine, you may be at an increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and stroke, poor mental health, and even early death. Even one night of short sleep can affect you the next day. Not surprisingly, you’re more likely to feel sleepy. On top of that, you’re more likely to be in a bad mood, be less productive at work, and be involved in a motor vehicle crash.

How much sleep you need changes as you age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend:

Age Group

Recommended Hours of Sleep Per Day^1,2

Infant

4-12 months

12-16 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

Toddler

1-2 years

11-14 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

Pre-school

3-5 years

10-13 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

School Age

6-12 years

9-12 hours per 24 hours

Teen

13-18 years

8-10 hours per 24 hours

Adult

18-60 years

7 or more hours per night

Habits to improve your sleep

There are some important habits that can improve your sleep health:

• Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends.
• Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature.
• Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom.
• Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.
• Avoid tobacco/nicotine.
• Get some exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night..."
  Sleep

How Does Sleep Affect Your Heart Health?

"Getting good sleep isn’t just important for your energy levels—it is critical for your heart health, too. Learn how sleep is connected to heart health.

Sleep is not a luxury. It is critical to good health. Sleep helps your body repair itself. Getting enough good sleep also helps you function normally during the day.

How much sleep do I need?

Most adults need at least 7 hours of sleep each night.¹ However, more than one in three American adults say they don’t get the recommended amount of sleep.² While this may be fine for a day or two, not getting enough sleep over time can lead to serious health problems—and make certain health problems worse.

What health conditions are linked to a lack of sleep?

Adults who sleep less than 7 hours each night are more likely to say they have had health problems, including heart attack, asthma, and depression.³ Some of these health problems raise the risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. These health problems include:

• High blood pressure. During normal sleep, your blood pressure goes down. Having sleep problems means your blood pressure stays higher for a longer amount of time.⁴ High blood pressure is one of the leading risks for heart disease and stroke. About 75 million Americans—one in three adults—have high blood pressure.⁵
• Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that causes sugar to build up in your blood, a condition that can damage your blood vessels. Some studies show that getting enough good sleep may help people improve blood sugar control.⁶
• Obesity. Lack of sleep can lead to unhealthy weight gain. This is especially true for children and adolescents, who need more sleep than adults. Not getting enough sleep may affect a part of the brain that controls hunger.."
  Sleep and health

Helping Babies Sleep Safely

"Expecting or caring for a baby? Take these steps to help baby sleep safely and reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

There are about 3,500 sleep-related deaths among US babies each year. CDC supports the 2016 recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to reduce the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths, including SIDS. See How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained to learn more about these and other actions.

Parents and caregivers can help create a safe sleep area for babies by taking the following steps.."
Babies and sleep

Sleep in Middle and High School Students

"Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for many health and behavior problems. Learn how much sleep students need and how many are not getting it.

Importance of Sleep

Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, injuries, poor mental health, and problems with attention and behavior.^1-4 How much sleep someone needs depends on their age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.¹

Are Students Getting Enough Sleep?

CDC analyzed data from the 2015 national and state Youth Risk Behavior Surveys.⁵ Students were asked how much sleep they usually got on school nights. Students who were 6 to 12 years old and who reported sleeping less than 9 hours were considered to not get enough sleep. Teenagers aged 13 to 18 years who reported sleeping less than 8 hours also were considered to not get enough sleep..."
Students and sleep

Are you getting enough sleep?

"Learn how much sleep you need for good health.

People will often cut back on their sleep for work, for family demands, or even to watch a good show on television. But if not getting enough sleep is a regular part of your routine, you may be at an increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and stroke, poor mental health, and even early death. Even one night of short sleep can affect you the next day. Not surprisingly, you’re more likely to feel sleepy. On top of that, you’re more likely to be in a bad mood, be less productive at work, and to be involved in a motor vehicle crash.

How much sleep you need changes as you age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend.."

Sleep

Getting Enough Sleep?

"35% of U.S. adults do not get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep continues to be a problem in the U.S. 

Are you one of those adults? Learn more about your risk and how many adults don't get enough sleep in the U.S.

How much sleep do we need and what can happen when we're not getting enough?

Sleep is an important part of good health.¹ Sleeping less than 7 hours per night is linked to increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and poor mental health, as well as early death.^2-4 Not getting the recommended amount of sleep can affect your ability to make good decisions and increases the chances of motor vehicle crashes.^.."
Sleep

Getting Enough Sleep?

"35% of U.S. adults do not get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep continues to be a problem in the U.S. 

Are you one of those adults? Learn more about your risk and how many adults don't get enough sleep in the U.S.

How much sleep do we need and what can happen when we're not getting enough?

Sleep is an important part of good health.¹ Sleeping less than 7 hours per night is linked to increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and poor mental health, as well as early death.^2-4 Not getting the recommended amount of sleep can affect your ability to make good decisions and increases the chances of motor vehicle crashes.."
Sleep

Safe Sleep for Babies

Whether you just had a baby, expecting a new baby, or taking care of a young infant it's important to create a safe sleep environment for your baby. Take a few moments to see how to create a safe sleep environment for your baby.

Safe Sleep for Babies: Learn How

"Whether you just had a baby, expecting a new baby, or taking care of a young infant it's important to create a safe sleep environment for your baby. Take a few moments to see how to create a safe sleep environment for your baby. En Español: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx0txjBoXl8&feature=ch..."

Unhealthy Sleep-Related Behaviors --- 12 States, 2009
"An estimated 50--70 million adults in the United States have chronic sleep and wakefulness disorders (1). Sleep difficulties, some of which are preventable, are associated with chronic diseases, mental disorders, health-risk behaviors, limitations of daily functioning, injury, and mortality (1,2). The National Sleep Foundation suggests that most adults need 7--9 hours of sleep per night, although individual variations exist. To assess the prevalence and distribution of selected sleep difficulties and behaviors, CDC analyzed data from a new sleep module added to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in 2009. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which determined that, among 74,571 adult respondents in 12 states, 35.3% reported having <7 hours of sleep on average during a 24-hour period, 48.0% reported snoring, 37.9% reported unintentionally falling asleep during the day at least 1 day in the preceding 30 days, and 4.7% reported nodding off or falling asleep while driving in the preceding 30 days. Continued public health surveillance of sleep quality, duration, behaviors, and disorders is needed to understand and address sleep difficulties and their impact on health. As a first step, a multifaceted approach that includes increased public awareness and education and training in sleep medicine for appropriate health-care professionals is needed; however, broad societal factors, including technology use and work policies, also must be considered.."

Infant sleep positioners: Consumer Warning - Risk of Suffocation
"AUDIENCE: Consumers, Pediatrics

ISSUE: FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a warning not to use Infant sleep positioners. In the last 13 years, the federal government has received 12 reports of babies known to have died from suffocation associated with their sleep positioners. Most of the babies suffocated after rolling from the side to the stomach.

BACKGROUND: The most common types of sleep positioners feature bolsters attached to each side of a thin mat and wedges to elevate the baby’s head. The sleep positioners are intended to keep a baby in a desired position while sleeping. They are often used with infants under 6 months old.

RECOMMENDATION: Consumers are warned to stop using infant positioning products. Never put pillows, sleep positioners, comforters, or quilts under the baby or in the crib. Always place a baby on his or her back at night and during nap time. See the Consumer Update for links to additional information, including product photos..."