I am 30 years old and was diagnosed with type 1 at the age of three. My control has been good, especially over the past year since I was pregnant with my first child who was born several months ago. My problem is insomnia. As I lie awake in bed, I am sure to test my blood sugar to rule out a low. Outside of sleeplessness caused by low blood glucose levels, is there a connection between diabetes and insomnia? Is there something I can do to get some sleep?

Insomnia in people with diabetes is usually due to low blood sugar levels. Sometimes, the blood sugar level is not low enough to be labeled as hypoglycemia. You may have some hypoglycemia unawareness, meaning that the insomnia may be a symptom of hypoglycemia, but when you actually test the level, it might appear to be okay. Remember, you are only seeing a single point in time. It might be helpful for you to relax your blood sugar control during the night for a while to help clarify whether this improves your sleep. Hormonal changes following the birth of child and a variety of other factors, excluding diabetes, can cause insomnia. You must explore these with the help of your doctor.

MS
Additional comments from Stephanie Schwartz, diabetes nurse specialist:

Your situation might well be clarified by monitoring sugar levels continuously for several days to try to sort out what’s happening in more detail. See The Continuous Glucose Monitoring System.

SS