Poor quality sleep may hinder efforts to control glycemia of children with type 1 diabetes, according to new research from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

By studying the sleep patterns of 50 children with type 1 diabetes for 10 to 16 years old, they found that less time they spent within a deeper sleep was associated with poorer school performance and higher levels glucose levels.

The researchers make it clear that despite following the recommendations for controlling their diabetes, many children and youths with type 1 diabetes have difficulty with glycemic control and this could be due to abnormalities in sleep patterns, daytime sleepiness and possibly sleep apnea.

All these conditions are treatable, and young people with diabetes would benefit from treatments designed to change and improve patterns and sleep quality, therefore in a better to place to better manage their diabetes.