One of the most common questions that I get as a diabetic from people who don’t know what it is like to live with the disease is, “Can you sleep with the pump on?” In a word, yes I can. But not everyone is as lucky.
The pump, being so boxy and big, makes turning over a difficult challenge. The body was designed with curves and not corners for a reason. While I have learned to move the pump around on my waistband to avoid awkward sleeping arrangements, there are many people that are sensitive to the box attached to their waists. The easiest thing to do is take the pump off your waistband and set it down beside you on the bed. I’ve done this before, and then my pump fell off the bed. What to do then? I have noticed that clipping the pump to the opening of a pillowcase or the corner of a sheet is the best option because it still gives even the worst of wiggleworms the leeway they need to sleep comfortably, but still know that their pump will stay connected.
The insertion site itself is also a cause of discomfort during sleep. The best thing to do is place your insertion as close to the middle of your abdomen as possible. Even though rotating the insertion site is ideal, if it interrupts your sleep, then there’s really no “ideal,” is there? Finding a spot that will not compromise sleep or insulin delivery is the way to go to combine diabetes and sleep.
Good night!