Sleep Apnea And Diabetes Connection

A good night sleep not only refreshes your body and mind, but it is also important for better diabetic health.

It has been identified that people who have sleep apnea, a common breathing disorder that affects sleep, and those who have diabetes have several things in common.

Until now, there exists no cure for both health conditions, but fortunately you have control of both illnesses.

Link between sleep apnea and diabetes

The link between sleep apnea and diabetes is quite close. It has been estimated by health experts that almost 40% of all men with type 2 diabetes have sleep apnea.

The consequences of uncontrolled sleep apnea and diabetes can lead to much more severe effects that you might actually guess. Sleep apnea, if left untreated will result in constant fatigue, which potentially causes poor concentration levels, lack of energy and depression as well.

Untreated sleep apnea also significantly reduces insulin resistance and leads to further diabetes complications like heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, kidney failure and many more.

The serious health consequences of untreated sleep apnea like stroke and heart attack can be life threatening in the long run.

When you have sleep apnea, throat muscles relax extremely and blocks the airway, which consequently results in frequent breathing interruptions.

Controlling diabetes and sleep apnea

For better health-related quality life with diabetes and sleep problems, it is very crucial for you to have control on both health conditions.

Here are a few lifestyle changes that are very important and also essential for people with diabetes and sleep apnea problem.

  1. Get enough physical activity: When it comes to either diabetes or sleep apnea, there are many benefits of enough physical activity. It helps in controlling blood sugar levels in the body and boosts your body’s sensitivity to insulin.
  2. Avoid smoking and excess alcohol intake: Smoking is the main threat for aggressive symptoms of diabetes or sleep disorder. So, stay away from smoking and limit the use of tobacco products in all possible ways. Even, many health experts recommend that diabetic patients should not have excess alcohol.
  3. Shed extra body pounds: Proper weight management is very crucial for better health. Therefore it is important to examine your weight regularly and if you are carrying a few extra pounds or have increased your weight recently, try to shed them by following healthy weight management techniques.
  4. Get enough sleep: Lack of sufficient sleep also leads to elevated blood sugar levels. So, be certain that you get a peaceful eight hours of sleep every day.
  5. Make healthy food choices: Low-carbohydrate, low glycemic foods are perfect food choices for diabetic people. Hence, ensure that you make healthy food choices and be sure to get all the essential vitamins and minerals in your daily diet.