Are late‐night eating habits and sleep duration associated with glycemic control in adult type 1 diabetes patients treated with insulin pumps?

Aims/Introduction Little is known about the impact of sleep duration and late‐night snacking on glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes using insulin pumps. The aim of the present study was to examine whether late‐night eating habits and short sleep duration are associated with glycemic control in continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion‐treated type 1 diabetic patients. Materials and Methods We included 148 consecutive adult type 1 diabetic subjects using an insulin pump (100 women and 48 men). Participants completed a questionnaire regarding sleep duration (classified as short if ≤6 h) and late‐night snacking. Other sources of information included medical records and data from blood glucose meters. Glycemic control was assessed by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and mean self‐monitoring of blood glucose ( SMBG ) readings. Results The mean age of patients was 26 years, mean type 1 diabetes duration was 13.4 years and mean HbA1c level was 7.2%. In a univariate regression analysis, sleep duration was a predictor of both HbA1c (β = 0.51, P  = 0.01) and SMBG levels (β = 11.4, P  = 0.02). Additionally, an association was found between frequent late‐night snacking and higher SMBG readings (often snacking β = 18.1, P  = 0.05), but not with increased HbA1c levels. In the multivariate linear regression, independent predictors for HbA1c and SMBG were sleep duration and patient age. In a univariate logistic regression, sleep duration and frequency of late‐night snacking were not predictors of whether HbA1c target levels were achieved. Conclusions Short sleep duration, but not late‐night snacking, seems to be associated with poorer glycemic control in type 1 diabetic patients treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion.