To feel well, a person needs approximately 6–9 hours per night, depending on the person. The body performs maintenance during sleep. It removes harmful metabolic products from the brain, replenishes energy reserves and repairs brain cells. Sleep helps with learning and improves immunity. Hormones that affect growth and metabolism are secreted during sleep.
Sleep deprivation is one of the reasons for the increase in obesity. In sleep deprivation, the level of the hormone that increases the appetite becomes higher while the level of the hormone that decreases the appetite becomes lower. As a result, feeling of hunger increases. The craving for food containing carbohydrates may increase. The sugar metabolism weakens, especially as a result of a lack of deep sleep. When insulin resistance increases in type 2 diabetes, the risk of higher blood pressure and heart disease increases.
High and low blood sugar reduce the quality of deep sleep. Low blood sugar during the sleep may cause nightmares and tiredness in the morning. From time to time, it is good to monitor the blood sugar at night.
Diabetic nerve damage can cause pain and especially restlessness in the feet, which makes it harder to fall asleep and sleep peacefully.
Sleep apnoea is when your breathing stops and starts during sleep. It is especially common in people with type 2 diabetes. In sleep apnoea, the breaks in breathing reduce the quality of sleep and the blood sugar balance.