A new study has found a third of people who have diabetes fail to report night-time hypoglycaemia (hypos) to their doctor or nurse, despite the negative impact to their health and lifestyle.

Hypos are one of the most common diabetes complications and occur when glucose in the blood falls to a low level. Symptoms can include a pounding heart, trembling, headaches, night sweats and extreme tiredness. Night-time hypos are of particular concern as they are unpredictable, can be hard to detect and can have significant consequences.

The study of 500 people with type 1 and 2 diabetes found that night-time hypos lead to absenteeism from work (21 per cent), a loss of productivity at work (12 per cent), a reduced desire to socialise and exercise (13 and 12 per cent respectively), and almost half of people (47 per cent) reported that their sleep had been affected.

Two-thirds of the study’s participants experienced a night-time hypo in the month prior to the survey. A third of those coped by making changes to their treatment without consulting their doctor or nurse first. Of the participants that did report the complications, a third felt more confident about managing them.

Diabetes UK is encouraging all people with diabetes to take steps to better manage their day- and night-time hypos. "These steps can include simple changes to lifestyle, diet and treatment so it is very important to discuss hypos as part of the regular consultation with your doctor or nurse,” said Simon O’Neill, director of health intelligence for Diabetes UK.

The results of the survey coincides with Novo Nordisk’s TALK Hypos campaign. Supported by Diabetes UK, this campaign focuses on encouraging people with diabetes to report day- and night-time hypos to their doctor or nurse to ensure they are properly managed.