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Association Between
Sleep Problems And Diabetes
Sleep disorders affect nearly 36% of the U.S.
population.
Many of these restless sleepers are putting themselves
at
risk for not only feeling groggy during the day but
also at
risk for diabetes. A few complications of diabetes can
exasperate sleep problems as well. Many doctors feel
that
sleep disorders can be overcome naturally, as long as
the
person sets his environment for better sleeping
conditions
and strives to change bad behaviors. In time, many
diabetics find that they form better sleeping habits
and
eventually reduce or eliminate their diabetes.
Diabetes and sleep disturbances go hand in hand,
according
to studies by National Institute of Mental Health and
American Diabetes Association. Basically, since
diabetes
changes how your body processes insulin, people with
diabetes have metabolisms that aren't well balanced.
(To
back up, insulin is a hormone that converts starch and
sugar
into energy.) Awakening un-refreshed from a night's
sleep
tends to trigger the body to miscalculate how much
insulin
should be produced. Also, when the body's glucose
(sugar)
levels are off, the body tends to not respond well to
sleep
and quality 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
(www.sleepfoundation.org). 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:
* Turn the TV and lights off before getting into bed.
Distractions stimulate a person into staying awake,
not
lulling them to sleep.
* Avoid stimulants before bedtime. Cut back on
caffeine,
alcohol and smoking during the day. Along that line, a
tolerance to sleeping pills and other prescriptions
might
actually hurt your ability to get to sleep rather than
keeping you asleep.
* Make your bed during the day and only go between the
sheets at bedtime. Use your bed just for sleeping and
not a
place to eat or read.
* Get a lot of movement during the day like walking
about
30 minutes each day to help your body recognize rest
time.
Another benefit of exercise is weight loss. Overweight
and
lack of activity are some of the largest culprits
behind
Type II Diabetes.
* Allow your muscles to relax by showering right
before
bedtime. If daytime worries are keeping you awake,
give
yourself permission to engage in a 10 to 20 minute
"worry
session" before you go to bed and then decide to let
the
worries wait until you get out of bed the next
morning.
Remember, the quality of sleep is far more important
than
the quantity of sleep each night, especially for
diabetics.
Many sleep disorders and diabetic conditions can be
overcome
if the diabetic takes the measures to set a more
friendly
and cozy sleep environment.
Copyright 2005 Nicola Kartos. All rights reserved.