Predictors of sleep disorders among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

This study examined the prevalence of sleep disorders (SD) and self-reported sleep symptoms and risk factors among adult patients diagnosed with T2DM.

Data were obtained from the 2012 US National Health and Wellness Survey, an annual Internet-based survey. A total of 7239 participants reported a diagnosis of T2DM. Patients also provided information on diagnosis of SD (e.g., insomnia, sleep breathing disorder, other sleep conditions, etc.) and regularly experienced sleep symptoms (e.g., difficulty falling asleep, sleep apnea, daytime sleepiness, difficulty staying awake, etc.). Logistic regressions were used to examine factors associated with SD and symptoms.

The average age was 59.9 (standard deviation=12.2), 59.5% were male, 24.4% were diagnosed with SD, 76.8% reported experiencing any sleep symptom regularly (difficulty falling asleep, 30.5%; sleep apnea, 17.4%; daytime sleepiness, 26.8%; difficulty staying awake, 10.1%). Logistic regression models showed the strongest predictors of diagnosed SD were obesity class (OC) III (OR=2.20), White (OR=1.92), OC II (OR=1.57), smoking (OR=1.57), lower income (OR=1.49-1.19), unemployment (OR=1.38), and comorbidities (OR=1.35), all p<0.05. The strongest predictors of any sleep symptom were OC III (OR=2.22), OC II (OR=1.78), lower income (OR=1.74-1.24), female gender (OR=1.72), OC I (OR=1.60), White (OR=1.54), and smoking (OR=1.47), all p<0.05.

Almost 25% of patients with T2DM were diagnosed with SD and over 75% reported experiencing at least one sleep symptom regularly. SD and symptoms were strongly associated with obesity, White ethnicity, gender, low income, and smoking. Interventions focusing on weight management and smoking cessation have shown to improve T2DM and may improve SD.