According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine people with type 2 diabetes should be screened for sleep apnoea.

Sleep apnoea is a disease where a collapse of the airway, during sleep stops the a person from breathing periodically. Because of the interruption to sleep there is often daytime fatigue. It has also been found that obstructive sleep apnoea leads to a host of other health issues including heart disease and depression.

Anyone that suspects that they have difficulty breathing during the night, or anyone who snores should undergo a sleep study.

“Type 2 diabetics and people with hypertension are much more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than other people, and as a result should immediately discuss their risk for sleep apnea with a sleep specialist,” Dr. M. Safwan Badr, M.D., president of the AASM, said in a statement. “Diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea from a board-certified sleep medicine physician will promote improvement in these conditions — including improved insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and cholesterol.”

Badr further explained that treating sleep apnea could improve glucose levels and insulin sensitivity among people with Type 2 diabetes. And for people with hypertension, treating sleep apnea could lower blood pressure and thereby lower your risks for other heart problems.

The main recommended treatment for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, which works by blowing air into your nose and mouth via a mask while you sleep.

It is widely accepted that weight loss is by far for many patients the most effective treatment. Obstructive sleep apnoea is often referred to a lifestyle disease due to its exacerbation when weight is gained.

People that revert to a whole foods plant based diet which does not include any processed foods often normalise their weight and therefore reverse their obstructive sleep apnoea condition.

There have been studies that show how interrupted sleep contributes to insulin resitancy and therefore to type 2 diabetes. To read these studies follow this link.