Teens and Type-1 Diabetes

LIVING WELL — By Staff on January 5, 2012 2:34 am

Teenagers with type 1 diabetes already have a health mountain to climb; getting a good night’s sleep. New research reveals that poor sleeping habits also result in worse control of blood sugar.

Principal investigator Michelle Perfect of the University of Arizona at Tucson tracked the sleep health of 50 children ages 10-16 with type 1 diabetes.

“Sleep problems were associated with lower grades, poorer performance on state standardized tests, poor quality of life and abnormalities in daytime behavior,” Perfect said. “On the upside, sleep is a potentially modifiable health behavior, so these kids could be helped by a qualified professional to get a better night’s sleep.”

The study, published in the journal Sleep, found participants spent more time in a lighter stage of sleep than young people without diabetes — and that was related to compromised school performance and higher blood sugar levels.