Sleep in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes: associations with diabetes management and glycemic control

Objective: To describe sleep in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and explore the association between sleep disturbances, diabetes management and glycemic control. Methods: Adolescents with T1D (n = 159, mean age = 16.4, 43% female, 69% white, mean hemoglobin A1c = 9.3%) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep quantity and quality and sleep disturbances. Frequency of blood glucose monitoring (meter downloads) was used as a measure of diabetes management. Results: Average sleep duration was 7.4 hours, below the recommended duration for this age. Adolescents using insulin pumps reported fewer sleep disturbances and longer sleep duration than those on injections, and older adolescents reported less sleep than younger adolescents. Poorer sleep duration was related to poorer diabetes management, and better self-reported sleep quality was associated with better glycemic control for males but not for females. Conclusions: Assessing for and treating sleep disturbances in adolescents may improve diabetes management.