Diabetes and sleep problems Image Credit source: Getty Images

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease in which the body is unable to use the insulin hormone properly or is unable to produce enough insulin hormone. Due to this, the level of glucose in the blood increases and the cells of the body are not able to use the energy properly. There are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. In Type 1, the body's immune system damages the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. In type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to insulin or the production of insulin decreases. Reasons for this are factors like obesity, poor lifestyle, fat accumulation, unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activity, genetics and stress.

Diabetes and sleep directly affect each other. Due to high blood sugar, it is common to feel thirsty again and again at night, feel dehydrated and have to urinate frequently, which leads to frequent interruptions in sleep. At the same time, due to sudden decrease in sugar, restlessness, nervousness, sweating, rapid heartbeat and loss of sleep also occur. Research It says that in people who get less sleep, appetite hormones change, appetite increases and the possibility of weight gain also increases, which is a big risk of type 2 diabetes. That is, poor sleep worsens sugar control and uncontrolled sugar also harms sleep. For this reason, sleep disorders are more common in diabetic patients.

What is the relation between diabetic patients and sleep?

Dr. Subhash Giri in the Department of Medicine at RML Hospital It is said that Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is found in many diabetic patients. In OSA, breathing stops for a few seconds while sleeping and this happens repeatedly. Due to this, the body does not get enough oxygen, sleep remains disrupted and fatigue persists during the day. OSA can be seen in almost half of the patients with type 2 diabetes.

Also, Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is also seen more in diabetic patients, especially when the nerves are affected or there is iron deficiency in the body. In this, tingling, burning sensation or constant restlessness is felt in the legs, due to which one cannot sleep.

Apart from this, stress hormones also increase due to insulin resistance and high blood sugar. This is the reason why many diabetic patients suffer from insomnia i.e. difficulty in falling asleep or maintaining sleep. Due to all these problems the quality of sleep deteriorates and after this glucose control also starts deteriorating.

How to take care of sleep in diabetes?

Do not eat heavy food or late at night.

Keep the time of sleeping and waking up the same every day.

Keep distance from phone-laptop screens one hour before sleeping.

Keep the room cool and comfortable.

If necessary, get a sleep-related test done by a doctor.

Good sleep improves sugar control, and good sugar control also improves sleep. It is a two-way relationship.