Diabetics often have poor sleeping patterns, and this can make their blood glucose levels harder to control. In a 1999 Lancet study completed at the University of Chicago, researchers found that diabetics who got only four hours of sleep a night, for a week, had impaired glucose tolerance.
If you have diabetes, it is important to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep each day.
Chronic sleep deprivation raises the hormone cortisol which promotes insulin resistance. Research has shown that sleep deprivation reduced the levels of the hormone leptin, and at the same time increased the levels of the hormone Ghrelin.
Leptin is an appetite suppressant, and Ghrelin is an appetite stimulant. When your appetite is stimulated by sleep deprivation, you will crave for foods high in carbohydrates and fats. This will not help your goal of losing the extra weight.
To sleep better at night, avoid naps and create the right bedroom environment. Naps can interfere with your circadian rhythm. Sleep on schedule and condition yourself to slow down when it’s bedtime. Keep your room dark and quiet.
Use ear plugs and eye masks if you must. Do not exercise or drink coffee at night, and keep your phone, tablet or laptop out of your reach. Many diabetics have sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome and peripheral neuropathy, which can interfere with their sleep.
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This keeps you from having a deep and satisfying sleep. There are many available treatments for sleep apnea. The doctor may recommend that you lose some weight if you are overweight. Another solution is to wear a mask over your nose. This treatment is called CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure. It keeps your airways from closing while you sleep.
It’s a temporary solution, not a cure. Restless Legs Syndrome is the feeling that you need to move your legs, for several reasons. You may feel tingling, pain, burning and numbness. It’s a type of sleeping disorder common to diabetics and can be treated with pain relievers, sleeping aids and dopamine agents.
Peripheral Neuropathy has the same symptoms as restless legs syndrome and can make it difficult to go to sleep and stay asleep.
If you have sleep apnea or other sleep disorders, consult with your doctor and get treatment.
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