Both too high and too low sugar levels can make it difficult to fall asleep and prevent you from sleeping through the night. How to cope then? Here are some ways that people with type 2 diabetes will help you have a peaceful night's rest.

Anyone with type 2 diabetes knows how difficult it is sometimes to fall asleep and get some sleep through the night without even waking up. The relationship between type 2 diabetes and sleep disorders has been well understood.

A common cause of problems with falling asleep in the case of diabetes are the symptoms associated with this disease, such as, for example, peripheral neuropathy, which occurs when nerves are damaged due to high blood sugar levels. Numbness of the legs, burning feet or even the feeling of pain for many people do not allow you to fall asleep calmly.

Diabetes-related nerve damage can also be one of the causes of RLS, which in turn causes the person to feel an irresistible urge to move their legs - and they do not control it, which also makes it difficult to fall asleep. In turn, too high blood sugar levels mean that diabetics often wake up to the toilet at night.

You may also wake up when your sugar level is too low. Finally, sleep quality can be adversely affected by another condition that people with type 2 diabetes, especially obesity, are also frequently at risk of, namely sleep apnea.

This does not mean, however, that diabetics are doomed to insomnia, as there are ways to sleep better.

Blood sugar control

Blood glucose monitoring can help prevent fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which in turn can help you avoid waking up due to the need to go to the toilet or symptoms of nocturnal hypoglycemia, including restless sleep and excessive sweating at night. In addition to the medication prescribed by your doctor, you should also remember about a diet with a low glycemic index - the meals eaten for dinner should contain less carbohydrates.

Regular physical activity

Sleep quality can also be improved by staying active and exercising. Moderate exercise over time improves insulin action and lowers sugar levels. The type of exercise and their intensity, however, should be determined with the doctor, because the body's reactions may bevaries depending on the medications taken. In patients who are treated with insulin, sugar drops after exercise, so hypoglycaemia can occur if exercise is continued for too long.

Reduce caffeine intake

Coffee is an allowed drink for diabetics, but caffeine is present not only in coffee, but also in dark chocolate or tea. Due to its strongly stimulating effect, it is worth limiting the daily consumption of these products and completely eliminating them from the menu at least three hours before going to bed.

Avoiding naps during the day

Daily naps can also affect how quickly you fall asleep. If you have sleep problems, you should give them up for a while. If you feel an irresistible need to sleep after a meal, it is a signal that it was not well-balanced. In such a situation, it is worth consulting a dietitian.

Proper sleep hygiene

We all know it - but the ability to fall asleep and sleep at night can be disturbed by all kinds of electronic diffusers, such as a mobile phone by the bed, an alarm clock radio, or even a TV turned off too shortly before bedtime. This is due to the blue light emitted by these devices, which interferes with the production of melatonin - a hormone that regulates e.g. Circadian and Sleep-Affecting Rhythms. It is also a good idea to go to bed and wake up at a similar time to help establish the rhythm of falling asleep and sleeping. Rituals of falling asleep may also be helpful, which - depending on your preferences - may be breathing exercises, a warm bath or even reading a book. The sleeping environment is also of great importance - a comfortable pillow and mattress, appropriate temperature in the bedroom (which should not exceed 18 degrees Celsius) and limiting the amount of light.

Category:

Diabetes