Respiratory disorders during sleep are a serious medical, economic and social problem. In the submitted review the authors discuss the possible relationship between sleep disorders and dia- betes. In the introduction they make the reader familiar with basic information on sleep apnoea, incl. the definition, classification and basic pathomechanisms leading to this disorder. In the subsequent part the authors discuss possible relations between the two diseases, the possible participation of diabetic autonomous neuropathy in the pathogenesis of sleep apnoea, the possib- le influence of hypoglycaemia on sleep quality and the possible influence of sleep apnoea on the development or deterioration of insulin resistance. The objective of the paper is to provide the professional public, but in particular diabetolgists, with an overall review of the problem based on most recent data from the literature and to draw attention to the fact that respiratory sleep disorders in diabetics are relatively frequent and that to this problem attention must be paid in practice and in medical research.

        Key words: Respiratory sleep disorders - Diabetes mellitus - Diabetic autonomous neuropathy - Insulin resistance