Introduction: ‘Dead-in-bed’ syndrome was identified as a cause of death in young male diabetic patients in 1991. The aetiology of the syndrome however, has been elusive since then. Although a possible mechanism of Prolongation of the QT interval during hypoglycaemic events in sleep has arisen. Aims: Here the current theories of the so called ‘dead-in-bed’ syndrome are reviewed and compared with other sudden death syndromes to gain insight into the aetiology. Methods: A literature review of ‘dead-in-bed’ articles as well as articles on other sudden death syndromes. Results: DBS occurs at a rate 46 times higher than the general population (p=0.0205). When one includes all sudden unexplained deaths in diabetics this rises to a standard mortality ratio of 103 (p=0.0138). Around 75% of these deaths are in young men and hypoglycaemia during one of these deaths has been confirmed. However there is a possibility of genetic predisposition to QT interval prolongation and candidate genes include SCN5A and others associated with long QT and Brugada syndrome. Conclusion: Dead-in-bed syndrome has similarities to other sudden death syndromes and more research into the genetic mechanisms of it are needed in which SCN5A is a candidate due to its mutations often causing death during sleep. Due to its similarities with other sudden death syndromes; it is concluded that ‘dead-in-bed’ syndrome should be renamed sudden unexplained death in diabetes (SUDD); so that any mortalities due to this syndrome are not unnecessarily excluded.