How Better Sleep Can Improve Blood Sugar Levels

    How Better Sleep Can Improve Blood Sugar Levels 

    Key highlights or summary

    • Balancing blood sugar is next to impossible unless sleep hygiene is fixed. Poor sleep habits trigger skyrocketed blood sugar levels.  
    • Sleep deprivation also causes high blood pressure, which is a triggering factor behind insulin resistance and high blood sugar.  
    • A lack of sleep affects blood sugar by elevating stress, increasing cortisol production, and triggering insulin resistance.  
    • Science-backed habits like quitting scrolling before bedtime and fixing a set sleep-wake cycle can help improve deep sleep.  
    • Natural solutions like breathing exercises, yoga, and workouts can help get better sleep.  

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    Frequently asked questions

    Getting good sleep every night balances insulin production and insulin resistance to keep blood sugar under control. Also, adequate sleep prevents excessive cortisol release to prevent blood sugar spikes.

    Diabetics need at least 7-9 hours of sleep every night to keep their blood sugar levels in check. Failing to do that imbalances their blood sugar levels massively because your body won’t get enough time to stabilize hormonal levels.  

    No, 5 hours of sleep is not enough for diabetics. They should aim for at least 7 hours of sleep every night. It’s clinically demonstrated that less than 7 hours of sleep daily for a few months can catalyze the progression of diabetes.  

    Healthy individuals generally have blood sugar levels within 70-100 mg/DL at night. Your sugar level may be higher than the specified range if you consume high-carb or sugar-heavy meals before dinner, but that’s also normal as long as you’re within the 120 mg/DL limit.  

    Yes, oversleeping is just as bad as sleep deprivation for diabetics. Sleeping 7-9 hours is the sweet spot for diabetics as well as healthy individuals. Sleeping more than 9 hours may cause complications like obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, depression, and many others.  

    If you’re trying to improve your sleep hygiene, it’s ideal to fall asleep between 10 pm to 11 pm and wake up between 7 am to 8 am every day. This is the best sleeping window according to an average individual’s circadian rhythm. As you maintain this sleep schedule, your health will remain optimal in the long run.  

    It’s ideal to skip high-sugar or high-fiber meals at dinner, and have your last meal 2-3 hours before bedtime to avoid blood sugar spikes during sleep. Most individuals go to bed by 11 pm. So, they should have their last meals of the day by 8 pm to prevent blood sugar spikes during sleep.  

    When your blood sugar level goes up while sleeping, you may experience symptoms like frequent urination, increased thirst, and frequent sleep interruptions. As you experience these symptoms, consult with your doctor and take all the necessary steps to control your blood sugar spikes.  

    It varies from individual to individual. However, most people can fix their sleep schedules within 4 to 8 weeks after changing their sleep patterns. If you have been suffering from chronic insomnia, you may need longer to fix your sleep schedule.