Sleeping well has to do with a lot of things. However, if your body is battling with a lot of problems already, then your sleep can also turn wonky for which you should see a sleep doctor Silver Spring. Here is everything you need to know about the correlation between diabetes and sleep.
Diabetes & Sleep
Diabetes is a disorder of the body in which there is an abundance of glucose in the blood. This can lead to symptoms like:
- Thirst
- Excessive hunger
- Urination
- Neuropathy, etc.
Diabetes is a very dangerous disorder and it can cause organ failure, gangrene, and other irreversible issues in the future.
But, where does sleep come in all of this? Well, when you suffer from diabetes, it can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night, either to urinate or even to eat, because you’re just so hungry. It can also cause you to break out in sweat and get thirsty a lot, which in turn will increase your trips to the bathroom, no matter what time of the day it is.
When it comes to sleep, it should be uninterrupted and it is nearly impossible when you have diabetes. This is why you want to control your blood sugar levels at all times, just to be able to sleep peacefully through the night. If you don’t, then you’ll be cranky, irritable, and confused the next day.
Sleep Disorders Related To Diabetes
Here are some of the sleep disorders related to diabetes. These disorders can worsen if your diabetes is through the roof and vice versa, so this is something to keep in mind.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder in which your breathing can suddenly stop for a few seconds before it resumes to normal. This can be a really scary thing to experience. To lose your breath during sleep is something you don’t even want to think about.
However, it can be a major risk, especially for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes, both of which are correlated to each other. The airways can get collapsed when you’re sleeping and this is what causes your breathing to stop. To prevent this from happening and manage sleep apnea, CPAP machines are used to ensure regular pressure in the airways.
Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which you just can’t sleep. No matter how much you try, you just will not be able to fall asleep. This can cause you to spend the late night hours eating and that is not good at all.
Eating super late at night can cause diabetes and even if you don’t eat a lot in the odd hours of the night, you will still disrupt your routine and become stressed which can lead to more glucose production in your blood and that is not normal at all. If you’re having trouble sleeping for days or weeks, see an insomnia specialist Frederick.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless leg syndrome is the type of sleeping disorder in which you constantly want to move your legs and limbs. It can be really weird to feel your limbs moving on their own without having any control over them to stop. One of the risks that are associated with restless leg syndrome is high glucose levels and this can lead to diabetes.
If you have diabetes, then you can also experience restless leg syndrome at some point during your sleep. It is a very serious problem that can worsen as your blood sugar levels increase.
Can Lack Of Sleep Worsen Diabetes?
Shortly, yes it can. Diabetes and sleep are connected and there is more to diabetes and sleep than meets the eye.
When you’re wide awake at night your only way of passing time is to eat and then you can gorge on food which isn’t good for your body at all. When you eat food, you have to digest it as soon as possible and that is impossible in the middle of the night, which causes the food to settle into the stomach and lead to obesity and high blood glucose levels.
Sleep deprivation can also cause metabolism issues and it can, in turn, lead to obesity. When you’re not fully rested, it can cause a lot of problems with your energy and you just don’t have it in you to exercise and burn those insufficient calories. This is why you let the food sit in your gut and this leads to fat depositing everywhere.
This is bad and if this continues for a long time, then you will be at risk of type 2 diabetes, which is dangerous for the body. So, you want to do everything you can to try and get back on track and not let lack of sleep ruin your body and health from the inside out.
How To Sleep Better With Diabetes?
Even though it may seem impossible to sleep with diabetes, there are some ways by which you can get a better night’s rest and it all has to do with how you’re training your mind and body.
Have A Routine
The thing with having a good night’s rest consistently is to stick to a schedule. Even if you suffer from diabetes, you want to ensure that you’re not letting go of your routine. This is not going to end well for you.
This is why you want to have a set time when you wake up and when you fall asleep. This is going to ensure that your brain knows when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. This is going to make everything that much smoother for you in the long run.
No Electronics
Electronic devices have that pesky blue light that makes sleep go away faster than you can say “one sheep, two sheep”. Blue light wills your mind to stay awake and it’s going to let you stay wide awake in the night for longer, hence ruining your sleep schedule immensely.
This is why you want to put yourself on an electronic curfew and not use any electronics for a few hours before you sleep. This is going to trick your mind into thinking that it’s tired and when you’re embraced by sleep, you’ll stay that way for 8 to 8 you’re straight.
Don’t Stimulate Your Brain
Caffeine and alcohol are just some of the stimulants that can make your mind and body to be awake in the odd hours of the night. You want to ensure that you’re consuming anything that has too much caffeine, sugar, and even alcohol right before bed especially if you’re in the beginning phases of trying to set a sleep schedule while battling diabetes.
This will be better for you and your mind won’t be going a million miles a minute after that strong cup of coffee at 7 in the evening. So, whatever you do, limit the amount of stimulants that can make sleep go away.
Conclusion
If you want the short answer, then yes, diabetes can cause sleep issues and it also works the other way around. So, you need to ensure that you’re healthy all over to have a good night’s rest. If you’re experiencing sleep problems, visit a sleep center Bethesda for diagnosis and treatment.
