6 Tips For Better Sleep With Diabetes

When you have diabetes, poor sleep can disrupt your blood sugar, your mood and your health.

An estimated 40 to 50 percent of people with diabetes say they don't sleep well, according to Dr. Kingman Strohl, director of the Sleep Disorders Program at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center.



Since quality sleep is so important to well-controlled blood sugar, making adjustments to get better shut-eye should be a top priority if you have diabetes.

Here are six ways you can improve your nighttime routine and get better sleep:

1. Lose the extra weight

Carrying too much extra weight can lead to sleep apnea - a condition that causes disruptions in sleep patterns and drowsiness during the day.

One study in 2009 found that 86 percent of people with diabetes experience sleep apnea, yet the condition can usually be quickly reversed once a person loses weight.

Shedding extra pounds will also correspond with better nutrition and exercise habits, which will both help to improve your sleep.

2. Have a routine

Having a routine for your blood sugar management is important for diabetes control, but it's just as important to have a regular sleeping routine.

Humans are habitual creatures that have set biological rhythms. Oversleeping, lack of sleep or an erratic sleep schedule are all factors that can disrupt your biological clock and affect the ongoing quality of your sleep.

3. Get tested for neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy - a condition characterized by numbness, tingling, or pain in the hands or feet - could also be disrupting your sleep quality.

Restless leg syndrome, which may have similar symptoms to neuropathy, can also be caused by high blood sugar.

Ask your doctor to be tested for diabetic neuropathy and alert him or her of any symptoms.

4. Manage stress

Stress can directly interfere with quality and duration of sleep (as well as blood sugar management).

In addition to creating a routine for sleep, aim to make bedtime a relaxing experience. Shut off electronics a few hours before bed, sleep in a dark room, and unwind with a relaxing activity before you sleep, like a hot bath or a cup of tea.

5. Avoid alcohol

While drinking a glass of wine may seem like a good way to induce drowsiness, drinking too close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep - and also your blood sugar levels.

Avoid alcohol unless it's several hours before you sleep, and try to have no more than one to two drinks.

6. Quit smoking

In addition to the stimulating properties of nicotine that can disturb your sleep patterns, smoking can lead to all sorts of health complications that prevent a restful night, including poor glucose control, headaches and restless leg syndrome.

Smoking cessation can help you not only better manage your health, but also drastically improve your sleep quality.
source:http://www.informationaboutdiabetes.com/

Keep Pressing This Point For 2 Minutes! Then See What Will Happen To Your Body!

The Chinese culture and medicine believe that our feet are full of different important locations, points, which are linked to various parts and organs of our body. The stimulation and massage of these points may bring relief and improvement of health conditions

One of these essential points is Tai Chong (LV3), which is located on your foot, between the big toe and the second toe, about two finger widths above the place where the skin of your big toe and the next toe joint.

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It is suggested that the stimulation of this point can help in treating headaches, reduce stress, manage anger, lower back pain, high blood pressure, relieve menstrual cramps, limb pain, insomnia and anxiety and also you will help in the regulation and refreshment of the liver.

Moreover, according to Chinese texts, it can be extremely beneficial in the case of digestive issues, genital pain, headaches, canker sores, irritability and eye problems.

Furthermore, scientists prove that a randomized trial has yielded a positive result with acupuncture stimulation on Tai Chong (LV3) and other points, to manage post-stroke depression. On the other hand, animal studies discovered that this point can reduce blood pressure and plasma endothelin-1 levels in hypertension subjects.

In order to use all its benefits, you need to stimulate this point in the following manner: slide your finger along the space between the first and second toe to the tip of the joint. Tai Chong (LV3) is located in the depression before your finger touches the bone (metatarsal joint).

When you find it, apply pressure and massage for 2-3 seconds and make a break for 5 seconds. Do this massage for 2 minutes. Remember, you need to move your finger in a counterclockwise direction over this point.

Also, you need to note that you should not use it when you feel weak or low on energy.
source:http://tophealthylifeadvices.com/

Chicken Marsala is definitely a diabetic-approved classic

this easy Italian favorite features tender chicken smothered in tasty mushrooms and a sweet wine sauce that will have everyone running to the table for dinner! Chicken Marsala is definitely a diabetes-approved classic!


Serves: 6
Cooking Time: 18 min

What You'll Need:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 pounds total), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup Marsala wine

What To Do:

Place the flour in a shallow dish. Add the chicken and coat evenly; set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Cook the chicken in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden and no pink remains. Remove the cooked chicken to a platter and keep warm.

Add the mushrooms to the skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Return the chicken to the skillet, add the wine, and reduce the heat to low.

Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the chicken is heated through. Serve immediately.
source:http://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/