Poor Sleep & Diabetes: Is There a Connection?

Are you getting enough sleep? As per science, it is important to get 6-8 hours of sound sleep. But the lifestyle these days which includes late and long working hours interferes with your sleeping patterns.

What does irregular sleep lead to?

Do you know lack of sleep can make you a diabetic? You are aware of the common reasons that can lead to diabetes. Some of these factors are family history, BMI, lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle and smoking. But what may surprise you is that lack of proper sleep or irregular sleeping patterns can also lead to increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes.

How does irregular sleep lead to diabetes?

Poor or irregular sleep can impact your blood sugar levels in the following ways:

• Hormonal changes: Lack of sleep leads to increase in levels of cortisol, stress hormone.

• Insulin Resistance: It increases body’s resistance to insulin. Insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes.

• Increases circadian rhythms: If circadian rhythms are out of sync, it declines the body’s metabolism and can interfere with hormone production affecting appetite, insulin, and blood glucose levels.

How to get a proper sleep?

Regular sleep or sleeping for 6-8 hours has many health benefits. Here are few tips to get a proper sleep:

• Reduce your caffeine intake: Caffeine is known to interfere with your sleep patterns. So you should limit your intake of tea and coffee. You can sip some chamomile tea instead.

• Limit the use of electronics in the bedroom: Switch off your phones, TVs, ipads and screens 2 hours before you go to sleep. It is best not to place television in your bedroom, as you tend to watch more in this case.

• Relax: Try reading a book or listen to some kind of soothing music, this helps in relaxing you, after a hard day at work. You can even go for some breathing exercises or meditate for few minutes.

• Regular bedtime schedule: Sleeping at a particular time daily helps in training the mind and it will help you in getting a good quality sleep.

Proper sleep is as important as diet for people with diabetes. It improves metabolism, promotes the secretion of hormones that regulate appetite and eating patterns. Lack of sleep not only increases the risk for diabetes but also affects its effective management.