Seven out of Ten People with Type 2 Diabetes have Sleep Apnea

Do you wake up tired, cranky, or maybe fall asleep easily during the course of normal activities? Do you snore loudly, hurting your relationship with a spouse, partner, or family? Do you have high blood pressure, and a high BMI?

Then you might have obstructive sleep apnea.

Did you know that having type 2 diabetes greatly increases the chances of having obstructive sleep apnea?

A shocking seven out of ten people with type 2 diabetes will go on to develop the condition, which is characterized by a partially or completely obstructed airway during sleep. While being older or overweight might make it more likely to develop – the condition can affect anyone, at any age, from any gender, and at any weight. Obstructive sleep apnea can severely complicate the treatment of diabetes, hypertension, and other medical conditions, as well as lead to heart attack or stroke.

The most common signs of sleep apnea are:

• Loud or frequent snoring
• Choking or gasping while you sleep
• Pauses in breathing
• Morning headaches
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Insomnia due to difficulty staying asleep
• Waking up with dry mouth or a sore throat
• Frequent need to urinate during the night
• Trouble concentrating
• Memory or learning problems
• Moodiness, irritability or depression

Changing our lifestyle choices such as quitting smoking and losing weight might help us reduce the risk of getting sleep apnea – but if you have any of the symptoms listed above, it is a good idea to speak to your medical team and get tested. They may conduct a sleep study to evaluate the situation, and determine a proper course of treatment for you. There are several alternatives for treating sleep apnea, including lifestyle choices, finding different positions at sleep time, restoring air flow through an external device method, or even surgery.