For people with diabetes, long-term sleep deprivation or poor sleep quality can disrupt the normal secretion of hormones in the body.Glucose-raising hormones (such as cortisol) surge as if responding to an “overtime order,” directly driving up blood glucose levels.The body’s sensitivity to insulin also decreases, leading to elevated blood sugar.In addition, blood sugar regulation (glucose tolerance) deteriorates, reducing the body’s ability to utilize glucose.
What makes matters worse is that long-term poor sleep puts the body in a round-the-clock “fight-or-flight state,”which gradually increases the release of stress hormones (including cortisol, adrenaline, and growth hormone) and stimulates higher blood glucose.Medical studies have confirmed that both too little or too much sleep, as well as low-quality sleep, can raise HbA1c levels in people with diabetes.
On the other hand, poorly controlled blood glucose can in turn impair sleep.Hyperglycemia increases nighttime urination;diabetic neuropathy can cause abnormal skin sensations, such as a feeling of ants crawling over the legs;severe itching can feel like a swarm of mosquitoes attacking at night.Coupled with hormonal changes caused by long-term disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism, nights can become especially long and difficult for people with diabetes.