Bad sleeping is very common in people with diabetes."Between 40 and 50 percent of people with diabetes complain that they can't sleep well," says doctor Kingman Strohl, director of the Sleep Disorders program of the Louis Stokes Cleveland Medical Center.
A higher number of people with diabetes may suffer some sleeping problems or sleeping disorders but do not recognize it as a problem related to a medical condition, says doctor Naresh Punjabi, professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the School of Medicine of Medicine of the Medicine of the Medicine of the Medicine ofJohns Hopkins University.
—Helaine Resnick, PHD, MPH
"One of the things we have learned in the last two decades is that diabetes itself increases the risk that the person has sleep disorders," says Dr. Punjabi.(Most research is related to type 2 diabetes).But at the same time, not sleeping has also been associated with having negative effects on blood glucose levels and people who do not sleep well run a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place, that is, theAsk then what is first: the egg or the chicken?
Whatever it is, the answer for people who have diabetes and cannot sleep well, is that they have to be treated for both (lack of sleep and diabetes): experts say that well -controlled diabetes helps him sleep betterAnd the best sleep will help you better control your diabetes.
"Sleeping to rest and recharge energies can improve glucose metabolism, reduce sleep during the day, and improve your ability to take your medications and therefore better control your diabetes," says Strohl.
Five experts talk about the challenges that people with diabetes have when it comes to having a good sleep night and offers some tips to solve those problems.
sleep apnea
The most common sleep disorder in people with diabetes is sleep apnea.A person with sleep apnea begins and stops breathing repeatedly while sleeping.Sleep apnea signals include dizziness during the day and snoring overnight.Studies show that the overweight associated with type 2 diabetes can produce the presence of more fat in the neck that restricts the airways, says Strohl.He explains that people who have overweight may develop sleep apnea before having type 2 diabetes and that sleep apnea contributes to the development of diabetes.
There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive apnea occurs when the airways or the throat area is narrow, the oxygen level is eventually reduced and eventually the brain causes an answer that is to awaken people, at least so that so thatThe person gets up and breathe deeply.The other form of apnea, the central apnea, occurs when the signals that the brain sends to the muscles to control the breathing are confused.The two types of apnea prevent a person from sleeping well.
"During the day, these people can be tired," says Punjabi.That can make good control of diabetes difficult because ‘they are not motivated to do physical exercise and have healthy behaviors.”
sleeping tips better:
Lose the pounds or kilos you have more: "If you lower enough weight, you can get rid of obstructive apnea," says Punjabi."But we know it's not easy."
Do an exam: if you feel dizzy during the day or your partner says that Ronca, ask your doctor about the study that examines whether you need a continuous positive air pressure therapy (known in English as CPAP).The machines and masks that are used for this therapy, while sleeping, increases air pressure in theThroat and this makes the respiratory tract collapse when the person breathes.
Other treatments: If continuous positive air pressure therapy does not work, says Dr. Collen Lance, of the CASE Medical Center of the Cleveland University Hospital, there are other available treatments such as including a dental apparatus that keeps the lower jaw inA specific position (forward) to open the airways.There is also surgery to remove the tissue of more found in the airways.
In addition, a new device is used that can be applied to stimulate nerves that move the tongue and thus prevent the passage of air from obstructing.
Frequent leg movement/Syndrome of the restless legs.
The syndrome of the restless legs and frequent movements of the legs can affect their sleep night.Restless legs syndrome (an almost uncontrollable desire to move your legs before falling asleep) can be caused by high blood glucose levels, thyroid disorders and kidney problems, says Lance.
"This syndrome also coincides with neuropathy, or nerve pain, and it can be difficult to differentiate them," she says."Or you can both have."
People with frequent leg movements have as twisting at the bottom of the legs, which occurs while sleeping.The difference between these disorders and neuropathy, says Punjabi, is that during the morning, the desire to move your legs disappears, while nerve pain or tingling does not.
sleeping tips better:
Monitor your iron levels: iron deficiency can cause restless legs syndrome, says Punjabi, who recommends asking your doctor to test you to verify if you have iron deficiency and if you should use iron supplements.Iron and replacement supplements should not be used in excess.A lot of iron can cause stomach pain, constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain.
Consider taking medications: many of the medications to treat neuropathy also work well for frequent legs of the legs.
Stop smoking: tobacco can cause the syndrome of the restless legs, so if you need one more reason to leave it, here you have it.
Insomnia
The inability of falling asleep or sleeping for a continuous period is generally known as insomnia, and can occur by itself or can accompany other sleep disorders, says Susan Zafarlotfi, PHD, associated teacher of sleep disorders and medicine of the department of psychiatry ofThe Rutgers New Jersey School of Medicine, which deals with patients with insomnia in its private office.
"Sometimes a patient is treated for sleep apnea, but insomnia is ignored," she says."Everything has to be treated."
Sleep tips better:
Try to discover what this causes: Zafarlotfi does not recommend sleeping medications."These medications are like temporary bandages, and people will become tolerant of these drugs," she says.She prefers to identify the deepest problems that cause this sleep disorder, such as anxiety or depression and treat insomnia with cognitive behavior therapy (a type of therapy where the patient works with her therapist to change the way of responding to negative thoughts).It is also important that you work together with the medical care provider to solve any problem related to medicines.
Diabetes complications
"There are many complications associated with diabetes that can affect a good night," says Punjabi.Neuropathy is one of the first on the list.“The painHe lifts him out of bed, ”he says."Any kind of pain will affect your dream."
The high or low blood glucose level can also contribute to a problematic night.And the symptoms of high glucose can occur before people realize that they have diabetes, says Helaine Resnick, PHD, MPH, principal researcher of the Health Dream Study and Scientific Editor of the Diabetes publication.
The high glucose can particularly cause thirst, urinated followed, headache, and hunger, all this can lift a person during the night.Low glucose can also be hungry, headache and sweating.
Sleep tips better:
Glucose control: control your glucose levels to avoid symptoms associated with diabetes and complications.For those people with insulin, work with your doctor in order to create a plan that includes your medicine, food and physical activity to avoid glucose casualties during the night.
Bad sleeping routine
This refers to daily practices that people, with or without diabetes, perform to make sleep well and feel good the next day.
Sleep tips better:
Follow a routine: many people tend not to have a good sleep routine, says Punjabi.Our bodies naturally follow a biological rhythm, which when interrupted can cause problems to sleep."Go to sleep at the same time as long as night, get up at the same time every morning."
Avoid stimulants: drink caffeine, do physical activity, smoking, performing chores at home near bedtime is not good."To be able to sleep well, we need a period where we can relax," says Resnick, who suggests taking a warm bath or reading a book before going to sleep.Do not use the computer to read your email just before going to sleep.Your mind can be distracted.This can cause anxiety.Leave it for the next day.
Do not drink alcohol before going to sleep: a glass of wine can relax it and can help you sleep but you can't be asleep for a long time if you take it very close to going to sleep, says Strohl.
Turn off the light: electronic devices generally have a small light that indicates that the device is turned on or off, says Lance.But this light also “tells his brain that it is day when it really is not.Turn off all your electronic devices when you go to sleep, ”says Lance, or put them somewhere else where I can't see the light.
Finally, if you have problems sleeping, or if your wife or partner or others who share your house realize that it snores excessively or interrupts breathing while sleeping, be sure to mention your doctor."This is generally the last thing mentioned in the visit to the doctor," says Strohl.
