Sleep disorders and diabetes tend to go together, according to American Diabetes Association and the National Institute of Mental Health. Diabetes is a condition where the body doesn't process insulin correctly. This means a person's metabolism doesn't work efficiently to convert sugars and starches into energy. When a person wakes up not feeling refreshed from a night's sleep, the body's insulin can be thrown off kilter. Conversely, when a person's sugar levels are off balance, the body doesn't respond well to sleeping and the quality of sleep is compromised.
Sleeping longer doesn't matter as much as the quality of sleep that a person gets. If a person wakes up feeling refreshed, then that person got a good night's rest. Most people actually wake up naturally twelve to fifteen times every night without even knowing that they've done so,according to the National Sleep Foundation. Many diabetics find that when they are naturally awaken, their diabetes affects their ability to get back to sleep. Sometimes, the cause of being awoken is related to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and they think they're hungry. Other reasons that awaken a diabetic include headaches (also related to high blood glucose), night sweats and the need to go to the bathroom.
In Type II Diabetes, a person's poor sleeping habits often trigger diabetes. In these people who are predisposed to diabetes, outside factors such as depression or inactivity can exasperate bad sleep patterns and lead to diabetes. Many Type II diabetics have a hard time falling asleep or wake up too early with little energy. For these diabetics, sleep patterns can be carefully restructured and greatly reduce their diabetes.
Many diabetics find relief from a restless night by using some of the below natural methods:
~ Avoid stimulants before bed like foods with caffeine or alcohol. Smoking also can keep you awake. Rather than helping you fall asleep, many people build a tolerance to
sleeping pills and other prescriptions.
~ Let your body relax before bed. Take a shower. Use a 10 to 20 minute "worry time" to release tension and then resolve not to revisit those worries until the next morning.
~Get rid of bright lights and distractions. Turn off the TV and lights prior to getting into bed to signal sleep time.
~ Move for at least 30 minutes every day. Exercise helps you maintain a health weight and triggers your body to recognize when to rest.
~Use your bed just for sleeping. Make your bed during the day to signal time to wake up. And, don't read or eat in bed.
Getting a good night's sleep is more important the number of hours slept, especially for a diabetic. After getting past poor sleep patterns, many diabetics find that their diabetes is greatly lowered.
