Sleep Quality and Quality of Life in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sleep quality and health-related and diabetes-related quality of life in adults with type 2 diabetes. Methods Three hundred individuals with type 2 diabetes (mean age 63.9 years) completed questionnaires assessing sleep quality, health-related quality of life, diabetes-related quality of life, comorbidities, and depressive symptoms. Results More than half of the participants (55%) were poor sleepers according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. After controlling for covariates, poor sleep quality was found to be a significant predictor of lower health-related quality of life as indicated by lower scores on both the physical and mental component scores of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (SF-36). Poor sleep quality was also associated with worse diabetes-related quality of life, in particular lower scores on the Diabetes Quality of Life measure total score and the Satisfaction With Treatment and Diabetes Impact subscale scores. Conclusions These results suggest that poor sleep is common in type 2 diabetes and may adversely impact quality of life. Interventions to improve sleep hygiene can be suggested to patients by diabetes educators as part of diabetes self-management education programs.