Some men and women with diabetes have found that diabetes symptoms and complications are the sources of too little sleep. Whether restless legs are keeping you awake, or you have to get up frequently to use the restrooms, diabetes can make getting a full, fitful night’s rest a difficult task. Increasing bodies of research are finding, however, that the opposite may also be true.

#1. Melatonin Communicates with Your Pancreas

When you sleep, your melatonin communicates with your pancreas. When your body is at rest, your pancreas produces less insulin, as you are not eating or exercising during sleep. Sleeping too often results in a higher risk of diabetes because the pancreas no longer produces the correct amount of insulin, which can result in chronic high blood sugar.

Chronic high blood sugar can quickly and easily lead to diabetes. Studies have linked a large amount of melatonin to a higher diabetes risk. One study even found that giving melatonin to people who had no other risk factors resulted in a higher risk. Sleeping too much, then, is not a matter of being lazy, but may actually be a matter of risking your health.

#2. Symptoms Create Sleep Disturbances

Symptoms of diabetes can prove extremely taxing on your sleep. Diabetes can cause nerve damage, leading up to unexpected and unexplained pain, numbness, and discomfort, including sensations such as restless legs. Nerve damage can also lead to impaired urination, which can result in night wakings.

Diabetes can also result in dangerous blood sugar highs and lows during the night, prompting you to wake up with feelings of dizziness, nausea, confusion, or fear. A tired body is not as readily able to process food and manage blood sugar.

#3. Diabetes Is Linked to Sleep Apnea

Sleep and diabetes are very closely linked, both before diabetes develops, and after diabetes has already gotten quite a foothold. For this reason, finding your body’s perfect balance for sleep and wakefulness is a key component in making sure you either keep diabetes at bay or carefully and successfully manage your condition.