Type 2 Diabetes - Does Your Sleeping Pattern Affect Your Blood Sugar Levels?

A lack of quality sleep places you at an increased risk of several health problems. If you are a Type 2 diabetic it will make weight loss and blood sugar control much more difficult. Out-of-control blood sugar levels (BSLs) and poor sleep quality often go hand in hand.

Evidence exists that indicates not getting enough sleep can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. In addition, Type 2 diabetics often do not sleep well and their BSLs usually suffer due to restless nights.

Some studies show men and women at risk for Type 2 diabetes who are sleep deprived, are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes as those who get at least 7 hours of sleep. This is a strong argument for adequate sleep as part of a diabetes prevention plan. Regularly getting less than 7 hours sleep per night triggers a hormonal response in your body that affects your appetite and behavior.

Sleep Habits: Lack of sleep has also been linked to obesity which is another risk factor for Type 2 diabetes. The more hours a person stays up late, the more likely they are to eat extra 'meals'... including sugary snacks and drinks to give them energy when they are tired and run down. This can play havoc with blood sugar levels and increase insulin resistance as well as encouraging weight gain.

Regularly not getting enough sleep makes your body less sensitive to insulin, therefore placing you at an increased risk for:

• weight gain
• blood pressure and
• problems with blood sugar control

People who don't get enough sleep may also experience disruption of their circadian rhythms, the natural attunement most people have to the cycle of night and day. The body's reaction to sleep loss is similar to its reaction to insulin resistance... which can mean dumping extra insulin into the system.

Blood Sugar Levels: Eventually blood sugar levels plummet, and fatigue sets in and when a sugary snack or cola is consumed to boost your energy levels, blood sugar levels skyrocket again. By the time you finally get to bed, your natural pancreatic activity, (release of insulin at regular intervals during the night), has been completely thrown off.

A vicious circle forms at this point... lack of sleep disrupts natural body patterns, and now blood sugar levels are swinging out of control. Your kidneys then try to get rid of excess sugar through urine, meaning you will have to get up several times in the night. You may also wake up with dry mouth... another sign of high BSLs.

Meanwhile your body expects to get up and receive food at a certain time, so sleeping in on weekends can worsen the effects. Blood sugar can drop significantly during the extra hour or two spent in bed, and cause symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and extreme irritability... not the way most people want to spend their weekend. If you want to sleep in, get up for just a minute to eat a small snack to carry you through.

Keeping a regular schedule, both where sleep patterns and meals are concerned, can help you manage your weight and your blood sugar levels.

And now I would like you to claim your Free E-Book when you click on Answers to Your Questions

You will then have access to information diabetics have requested over recent months.

Beverleigh Piepers RN... the Diabetes Detective.
http://coping-with-diabetes.org
Beverleigh Piepers is the author of this article. This article can be used for reprint on your website provided all the links in the article are complete and active. Copyright (c) 2010 - All Rights Reserved Worldwide