ESPE Abstracts

Aim: In numerous studies, a decrease in sleep quality and regulation has been reported in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, research on sleep disturbances in T1D patients is limited. Diagnosis of sleep disorders is crucial as this condition adversely affects cognitive functions in children, which in turn affects the essential skills required for diabetes management. We aim to assess sleep disorders in patients diagnosed with T1D and investigate the relationship between sleep disorders and diabetes management.

Materials and Methods: Our study included 250 participants aged between 6 and 15 years (144 with T1D, 106 in the control group), and the Sleep Disturbances Scale for Children (SDSC) inventory was used. SDCS scores of the T1D group were compared with those of the control group. The relationship between clinical/biochemical parameters and SDSC scores within the T1D group was also investigated.

Results: The mean age of individuals with T1D was 10.27 ± 3.25 years, while the mean age of the control group was 10.48 ± 3.5 years (P = 0.303). The median duration of diabetes in the T1D group was 5 (1 - 15) years, with a median glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of 8.4% for the past year. Although there was no significant difference in total SDSC scores between the T1D and control groups, the mean total scores of both groups were close to the threshold value (>39), indicating sleep disturbances. The proportion of individuals with total SDSC scores exceeding 39 was 48.6% in the T1DM group and 47.6% in the control group. In the SDSC subgroup evaluations, arousal nightmares were more prevalent in individuals with T1D (P = 0.049). Additionally, in correlation assessments, HbA1c showed a positive correlation with excessive sleepiness disorder score and total SDSC score (P <0.001, r =0.368; P = 0.003, r =0.243).

Conclusion: In our study, the prevalence of sleep disorders in children and adolescents with T1D was found to be similar to that of healthy peers. However, it was observed that 48.6% of T1D cases exhibited sleep disturbances based on SDSC scores, and there was an association between total SDSC scores and diabetes management. Screening for sleep disorders in the follow-up of T1D patients may be beneficial to optimize diabetes management.