Dr. Nithin

Diabetes is a silent attacker. So, you may continue to be unaware of the disease for a very long time, before you suddenly realize that something is wrong with your body one day. And then tests reveal that you are afflicted with diabetes.

There are some signs that can point to diabetes. Watching out for these can help figure out the problem:

1. You might lose weight, and it may really seem like a great thing in the beginning but it is not. When a person has diabetes, he is likely to lose his weight because of the decreasing water level in his body as well as the inability of the body to break down food into more suitable forms.
2. If you are taking more bathroom breaks than usual, and if the rate of going to the loo is increasing gradually with time, it can well be a sign of diabetes. When you are suffering from diabetes, your body becomes less efficient in breaking down the consumed food into sugars and utilising it. Therefore, a lot of sugar gets saturated in your bloodstream and your body gets rid of it by flushing it out through urination.
3. If you are tired all the time, and by all the time we mean even after getting up from a long and good night's sleep, you may have diabetes. The reason for this is that fatigue comes to you when your body cannot produce enough energy from the food you consume, and this happens only when you have diabetes.

Complications that happen due to diabetes:

1. Cardiovascular diseases: This means that if you are having excessive diabetes, then you are at a risk of having a major heart attack or a heart stroke. Additionally, increased blood sugar levels also lead to other heart-related diseases like chest pain, narrowing of arteries etc.
2. Retinopathy: In simple words, diabetes leads to eye damage by making the eye exposed and prone to severe eye disorders like cataracts and glaucoma. If you have retinopathy, then you may also have face the consequence loss of vision or permanent blindness.
3. Kidney problems: Diabetes causes damage to the blood vessels of the kidneys which may further result in serious kidney disorders and may increase the risks of a sudden kidney failure.

The following changes to your lifestyle and environment can also help you combat sleep problems:

Turn off the tv. In some people, nighttime light can hinder melatonin and create 'social jetlag,' which mimics symptoms of having traveled several time zones. To keep your sleep surroundings as dark as possible, Ahmed recommends moving the tv out of your bedroom and using a dvr or tivo to record favorite late-night shows for later viewing.

Put other appliances to bed, too. If you want a good, restful sleep, turn your appliances away from your bed. Or better yet, turn them off altogether. If you must use bedroom electronics, choose those illuminated with red light, which is better for sleep than blue light.

Give it up. If you don't fall asleep within 30 minutes, sleep specialists recommend you get up and leave your bedroom or read. Then return to your bed to sleep when you feel tired again.

Exercise early. It's no secret that exercise improves sleep and overall health. But a study published in the journal sleep shows that the amount of exercise and time of day it is done makes a difference. Researchers found that women who exercised at a moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes each morning, 7 days a week, had less trouble sleeping than women who exercised less or later in the day. Morning exercise seems to affect body rhythms that affect sleep quality.

One of the reasons for this interplay between exercise and sleep may be body temperature. Your body temp rises during exercise and takes up to 6 hours to drop back down to normal. Because cooler body temperatures are linked to better sleep, it's important to give your body time to cool off before bed.

Keep your slumber surroundings tranquil. Your bedroom should feel like a sanctuary. Piles of clothes were thrown on your bed, stacks of bills staring at you, or other random clutter will hamper you emotionally and may lead to sleep problems. A tranquil and organized space will help you feel more relaxed. To create the perfect sleep environment, try the following:

•     Wear pajamas to bed. This can be your birthday suit, but it signals your mind that it's bedtime.
•     Don't let your bedroom get too hot or too cold. Sleep can be disrupted at temperatures below 54 f or above 72 f.
•     Make your room dark. Consider installing room-darkening shades. Or wear eye covers to block light from the street or led displays.
•     Buy a good mattress. You spend 1/3 of your life in your bed, so it's worth the investment.
•     Use a pillow that supports your head and neck. Give the pillow the bend test: if you bend it in half and it stays in position, it's too floppy.
•     To filter unwanted sounds, use a white noise machine. Your brain still hears things when you sleep.
•     Sleep on breathable linens. They will reduce sweat, body odor, and skin irritation, all of which can disrupt sleep.

Natural sleep remedies can do wonders for the occasional bout of poor sleep. They shouldn't be used for chronic sleep problems, though, if you have insomnia that lasts for a few weeks or more, talk to your doctor.