Diabetes & Sleep – 10 Ways to Break the Cycle of Poor Sleep

Poor sleep has been linked to insulin resistance, which is the bane of every diabetic’s existence. While we are still working hard on ways to boost insulin sensitivity and to protect your body from the complications of diabetes, it seems that improving your sleep may be an option to look into.

By getting better quality sleep each night, it can help stabilize glucose levels more easily, thus reducing the risk of further complications.

So let’s take a look at 10 science-based ways to get better sleep tonight!

#1 Create a sleeping chamber

Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary. Your bed is a place to sleep and a place to have sex. Cut out anything else so that your brain register it as a place of rest. Reduce incoming sounds or lights and control the temperature to create a restful place.

#2 Don’t hit snooze

Get up when your alarm goes off! Those extra minutes in bed don’t actually do anything for you, so train your body to get up when it needs to instead.

#3 Exercise daily

Thirty minutes of moderate exercise each day will help your body sleep more restfully each night.

#4 Avoid eating late at night

Eating late at night can spike your blood sugar and busy your body with the process of digestion. This habit can postpone your body’s natural sleep process for several hours.

#5 Turn off electronics an hour before bedtime

That extra electronic stimulation makes your brain do funky things, none of which involves sleep. So cut the stimulation as you’re winding down for the night.

#6 Lower caffeine intake

Indulge in your morning coffee as much as you want but try not to use it as an afternoon pick-me-up. Even if it doesn’t leave you feeling buzzed, it may prevent you from falling asleep later that night.

#7 Follow the natural light

Our bodies were created in a world that relied on natural sunlight, so it makes sense that our bodies are also designed to rest with the sun. Use the sunset as your cue to wind down and the sunrise as your natural alarm clock to wake your body after your actual alarm clock.

#8 Try stimulus-control therapy

If you are lying in bed yet you can’t fall asleep, then get out of bed! Remember: your bed is a place for sleep and sex, not for ruminating and stressing. Go to a quiet, dark place and read or write for about 30 minutes. Head back to bed and try again. After a few nights, your body won’t need the extra training.

#9 Get a bedside fan

The white noise caused by a fan, combined with the constant fresh air, can help make a more comfortable sleeping environment.

#10 Set the alarm to go to bed

Don’t wait until you’re ready to go to sleep before actually going to bed. This could reduce your sleep time by hours! Instead, set the alarm to go to bed each night and stick to it.

[expand title=”References“]

Diabetes.co.uk. URL Link. Accessed March 6, 2017.

Huffington Post. URL Link. Accessed March 6, 2017.

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