Higher sleep variability is associated with poorer glycaemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes

Sleep disturbances have been linked to insulin resistance and poor glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the data are limited in type 1 diabetes. Recently, varying day-to-day sleep schedules, i.e. sleep variability, have been associated with adverse metabolic profile in healthy individuals. This study explored whether sleep variability affects glycaemic control and insulin requirement in type 1 diabetes. Forty-one adult patients with type 1 diabetes wore an actigraphy for 5 nights. Standard deviation of sleep duration, efficiency and mid-sleep time were sleep variability parameters. Sleep apnoea risk and self-reported sleep quality were assessed by the Berlin questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Haemoglobin A1c, diabetes complications and insulin regimen were obtained from medical records. After adjusting for neuropathic symptoms, sleep apnoea risk and poor self-reported sleep quality, higher sleep variability was significantly associated with poorer glycaemic control (standard deviation of sleep duration, B = 0.100, P = 0.004; and standard deviation of mid-sleep time, B = 0.068, P = 0.04). In addition, standard deviations of sleep duration and mid-sleep time were highly correlated, suggesting that participants changed their sleep duration along with sleep timing. After adjusting for covariates, the standard deviation of sleep duration (P = 0.009) and standard deviation of mid-sleep time (P = 0.012) were associated with higher insulin requirement. In summary, higher sleep variability, which likely reflects sleep deprivation alternating with sleep compensation along with shifts in their circadian timing, was associated with poorer glycaemic control and higher insulin requirement in patients with type 1 diabetes. Increased sleep regularity may improve metabolic control in type 1 diabetes.