What's The Connection Between Sleep Apnea And Type 2 Diabetes?

Many of us having trouble sleeping at night, but some of us actually have a disorder that can make it hard for us to get a good night's sleep. This condition is known as sleep apnea, and it could be an early warning that you either have or will develop diabetes.

Sleep apnea is a common breathing disorder that affects many people during their sleep. It manifests as an interruption to breathing, possibly for one minute or longer, during sleep. Sleep apnea can be very dangerous because it ultimately affects the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream.

Warning signs that you could have sleep apnea include:

• Waking up with a sore or dry throat
• Snoring very loudly
• Waking up choking or gasping
• Feeling sleepy while driving
• Experiencing morning headaches
• Restless sleep
• Being forgetful or experiencing mood changes
• Having a reduced interest in sex
• Chronic fatigue
• Mood swings

What is the link between diabetes and sleep apnea?

Patients with type 2 diabetes are much more likely to develop sleep apnea than the general population. In fact, studies estimate that type 2 diabetics have a 50 percent risk of developing this disease. This is a problem, especially because having sleep apnea can actually worsen the symptoms of your diabetes and contribute to your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. If your sleep apnea is untreated, that can lead to a significant increase in glucose levels and a poor quality of life.

Why do patients with diabetes develop sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is not just more likely to develop if you have type 2 diabetes, it can also actually worsen your diabetes. Sleep apnea increases your blood sugar levels because people with sleep apnea feel stressed from a lack of sleep and constantly wake up night, causing your body to release stress-related hormones that make your blood sugar shoot up.

Therefore, not only are patients with type 2 diabetes more likely to suffer from sleep apnea, but patients with sleep apnea are also more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Doctors suggest that all patients with sleep apnea, regardless of disease severity, should get their blood sugar levels checked.

How do I know if I have sleep apnea?

If you answer "yes" to at least two of the questions below, you should get evaluated for sleep apnea:

• Do you snore very loudly to the point where you can be heard through a closed door?
• Do you feel tired and fatigued to the point where you fall asleep when you drive or at any other part during the day?
• Has anyone noticed that you stop breathing when you sleep?
• Do you have, or have you ever had, high blood pressure?

So, how do you treat sleep apnea?

Making lifestyle changes

For those with mild sleep apnea, making lifestyle changes can really help treat the condition:

• Lose weight (if you need to), as that will get rid of some of the fat that weighs down your throat and neck.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs, as that helps relax your tongue and stops it from falling back and blocking the airway.
• Quit smoking.
• Start sleeping on your side.

Use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine

If you have moderate or severe sleep apnea, the CPAP machine is the most common type of device used to treat the condition. It contains a mask-type device that goes over your nose. Then, the machine blows air into your throat and forces your airway open. You can adjust air pressure on the machine. CPAP therapy is really beneficial for the deepest part of your sleep, which is the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep. Furthermore, CPAP therapy can also be beneficial for your diabetes as studies have shown that using CPAP therapy for eight hours or more can help improve your blood sugar levels.

Surgery

You can undergo surgery to reset your jaw, which can help open up and widen your airways. Surgery can also be used to remove extra tissue from around the throat or mouth. Essentially, surgery can help physically make your airways better which makes it much less likely to collapse.