How and Why to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Consider what happens when you don’t get enough sleep. In addition to other things that may interfere with your rest—like schedule changes or daily anxiety—people living with diabetes face unique biological complications. Both high and low blood sugar levels can physically interrupt your sleep cycle overnight. Furthermore, individuals with type 2 diabetes who don’t get a good night’s sleep may become significantly more insulin resistant, making daytime glycemic control much more difficult¹. Obstructive sleep apnea is also highly prevalent in type 2 diabetes populations, and peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) can cause severe leg pain or tingling that keeps you awake.  

The good news is that it’s entirely possible to control these things and get a long, healthy night of rest. With that in mind, here are some actionable strategies for transforming your nightly rest.

8 Helpful Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

• Relax before bedtime: Ensure exercise, intense chores, and errands are finished at least an hour before you head to bed.
• Keep a strict schedule: Go to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends. Try to avoid taking naps late in the afternoon.
• Watch evening consumption: Don’t eat a heavy meal right before bedtime, and completely eliminate alcohol or caffeine intake late at night.
• Limit nocturnal fluids: Restrict all fluids at least an hour before bedtime to avoid waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Make sure to use the bathroom right before getting into bed.
• Manage mental stress: If you’re stressed out, try relaxation techniques like meditating, deep breathing, yoga, reading a favorite book, listening to calm music, or writing in a journal.
• Optimize your environment: Make your room comfortable: not too cold or hot, quiet, and dark. If you currently use your bedroom as an office or another TV room, rethink this arrangement. Make your bedroom a place to rest, not get distracted.  
• Disconnect from screens: Put all electronics away before bedtime, especially light-emitting mobile devices like your smartphone or tablet.
• Manage your pets: We know you love your pets, but they can easily interrupt your sleep cycles. Try to keep them off the mattress, or out of your room altogether if you have allergies (diabetes alert dogs excluded, of course).

Checking Your Blood Sugar Level at Night

It is highly recommended to check your blood sugar level roughly an hour before bedtime. To avoid going low overnight, experiment with light, protein-stable bedtime snacks that will keep your blood sugar normal overnight, like hummus or guacamole with vegetables.  

Some health care providers recommend a 3:00 a.m. blood sugar test to ensure that your overnight blood glucose is stable. If you’re on an insulin pump, fine-tune your basal levels if your blood sugar level tends to drop overnight.  

When to Talk to Your Doctor or Pharmacist

If you are having trouble sleeping, we hope these tips will help. However, if you’re still struggling to get a good night’s rest, or if someone tells you that you have a chronic snoring problem, consider talking to your doctor or pharmacist. Snoring is an indicator of obstructive apnea, which is associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, acid reflux, and fatigue.

References:

^1. National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Chronic Insufficient Sleep in Women Impairs Insulin Sensitivity. Available at https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/chronic-sleep-deficiency-…. Accessed on June 22, 2026.

^2. American Diabetes Association (ADA). Sleep Health Pillars in Diabetes Standards of Care. Available at https://diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-care. Accessed on June 22, 2026.