Sleep

[Wood90]

Hi,

Fairly new T1. Does it effect your sleep? The last week or so I have woken up between 1 and 2 am and struggle to get back to sleep. Sometimes I have woken up very hot and sweaty and other nights I just can not get comfy. Does anyone know what may cause this or is there anything I can do that can help me sleep better.

TIA

Aimee 🙂

 

[Lily123]

Welcome to the forum

Have you checked you blood glucose when you feel like this as it could be a sign of either a hypo or hyper.?

 

[nonethewiser]

Something bothering you, restless mind going to bed won't help matters.

Answer to your question is no, unless high or low bg is at play. Lived with condition for 40 years & sleep soundly.

 

[Robin]

The golden rule I impose on myself is, if I wake in the night, test my blood glucose immediately. Sometimes it’s a false alarm, but more often than not, something’s awry with it. Having a Libre sensor has made this so much easier, I can swipe and read the answer without putting the light on or going to the bathroom, or otherwise disturbing my OH.

 

[rebrascora]

If you are newly diagnosed then it is not uncommon to be apprehensive at night and have disturbed sleep but if you are waking up hot and restless then you really need to check your levels because, as mentioned by @Lily123 it could be a hyper or a hypo.

I always sleep badly when my levels are high. These days anywhere near 10 makes me very restless and hot and I toss and turn until eventually I test (scan my Libre) inject a correction and usually sleep better after that. When my levels are low I sleep really well but wake up from a deep sleep just long enough to scan my Libre, eat a jelly baby and go back to that lovely deep sleep.... My body seems to like being around 4 during the depths of the night and that is when I get the best sleep. It is important to listen to your body and check your levels when it gives you a hint, particularly at night.

I should say I am not recommending that others run their levels close to 4 during the night as it is too close to hypo land but I think it is probably a natural BG level for good sleep in a non diabetic person. Unfortunately we need to keep it in a safer range, so most people are advised to go to bed no lower than 8, but for me above 8 means I don't get good restful sleep. Libre makes such a huge difference in being able to understand how your body works as well as being so convenient to scan during the night. It has made a huge difference to my confidence in managing my diabetes whilst I sleep.

 

[SB2015]

Good morning @Wood90 Sorry to hear you are getting disturbed nights.

If your glucose levels go too low you are likely to wake up and feeling sweaty is a common symptom of this. It Is worth checking your levels when you wake. I round it useful to do this automatically when I wake in the night. It eliminates one possibility or ensures you can treat it. A pot of jelly babies or some juice by the bed is a useful precaution.

Managing T1 in the early stages is a lot to take on very quickly and I found that at the start Inwas very worried about hypos. The honeymoon period made things less predictable so added to my concerns and I was restless.

As others have said it could just be concerns about other things.

 

[Ian68]

Anxiety caused me me restless nights when I was first diagnosed. You have a lot of information to take on board so your mind is going ten to the dozen. I found carb counting all my meals help as it was easier to meal plan days ahead. As I now I was fretting over it during the night. A few Months in and now I have a grip on things I sleep like a baby.