The relationship between sleep disturbance and glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes: An integrative review

Aims and objectives To explore and synthesise current research to assess the state of science about the relationship between sleep disturbance and glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Background Sleep disturbance is suggested a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes alone is a leading cause of death, but when coupled with sleep disturbance poses additional health risks. However, little is known about the relationship between sleep disturbance and glycaemic control in people with overt diabetes. Design An integrative review. Methods Whittemore and Knafl's methodology guided this integrative review. Original studies published before October 2016 were identified through systematic searches of seven databases using terms: diabet*; sleep or insomnia; glycem* or glucose or A1C or HbA1c or sugar; and their combinations. The matrix and narrative synthesis were employed to organise and synthesise the findings, respectively. The Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool was used to evaluate the study quality. Results A total of 26 studies were identified; 17 of which reported significant relationships between sleep measures and glycaemic control. In 13 studies, sleep duration was associated with glycaemic control in both linear (n = 2) and nonlinear (n = 3) relationships; however, eight studies reported no significant relationships. Sleep quality was significantly related to glycaemic control in 14 of 22 studies. Nine studies found no relationship between any measure of sleep and glycaemic control. Conclusions There is strong evidence supporting the relationship between sleep quality and glycaemic control but further examination of the relationship between sleep duration and glycaemic control is warranted. Sleep disturbance, particularly impaired sleep quality, could potentially influence glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Relevance to clinical practice Nurses who treat patients with diabetes should include assessment of sleep, education for healthy sleep, and referral for treatment of sleep disturbance in order to maximise the potential for achieving good glycaemic control.