Did you know that the percentage of adults getting less than six hours sleep each night has increased by 31% since 1985? Blood Sugar level, also known as glucose, can be effected by your amount of sleep. Blood sugar provides energy to your cells that are in the blood stream including brain cells and the nervous system. Lack of sleep over an extended period of time can cause the following health issues:
Health Issues that can be Caused by Lack of Sleep
Issues in red are in the top 5 leading health problems in America
| Heart disease | Irregular heartbeat | Stroke |
| Heart attack | High blood pressure | Diabetes |
| Heart failure |
You may be asking, “How does this list relate to Blood Sugar?” Great question! Notice that the list of issues above all involve the blood stream as well as the nervous system. Blood sugar levels is the amount of glucose in your blood stream. If your blood sugar level is high( hyperglycemia), your body is unable to effectively transport sugar from blood into cells. If your blood sugar level is low (hypoglycemia), it causes your insulin level to increase.
Check out What Are Normal Blood Glucose Levels to learn more about how to determine if your blood sugar is hi, low or normal.
Now that we have connected the health issues listed above to blood sugar, let’s learn about one way to balance our blood sugar by sleeping better. When I go to sleep at night, one of my intentions is to get a good night’s rest so that I can wake up the next morning feeling refreshed and energized. We know that is not always the case. Since glucose is your bodies primary source for energy, it is interesting that glucose levels are usually lowest in the morning before your first meal of the day. Maybe that’s why we say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. We need a kick start to get the day going.
There are natural and non-natural ways to help you sleep better. Some may choose to use the non-natural way by using medication such as sleeping pills which are sedative hypnotics. The Rehab Spot wrote a post in June 2018 about Addiction to Sleeping Pills. So, we are going to focus on natural ways to get a good shut eye. I will be providing 5 out of the 10 “How-to” Sleep Tips I learned about during my Becoming a Health Coach course provided by the Health Coach Institute. Here are 6 out of the 10 that I practice today.
“How-to” Sleep Tips
Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day
No TV in the bedroom
Avoid caffeine or reduce it after 12N
Avoid alcohol (it may be a sleep aid but causes poor quality sleep)
Eat no later than two hours before bed (impedes the body’s overnight detoxification process)
Journal (Write your worries down. Free your mind.)
Bonus Tip: I was recently given a house warming gift that does wonders for getting me in sleep mode. I have been winding down 1 hour before I go to bed for over 20 years. I use this time to take a warm bath, meditate, just be quiet or journal. The Health Coach Institute calls it Power Down Hour. The house warming gift was an Art Naturals Essential Diffuser and 8-Pack Oil Gift Set . There are so many other choices but you can actually use an oil that will help you sleep.
Don’t take your sleep for granted. Start implementing some of these tips tonight for yourself. You are worth it. Many of the health issues we are suffering from today can be reduced by simply getting a good night’s sleep.
SPECIAL NOTICE: I will be posting about my journey to Becoming a Health Coaching until I am certified in 2019.
Leave a comment below about what resonated with you in this post.
Happy Zzzzzz
QueenShe
#HCIHealthCoach
#SparkTheChange
More Related Topics:
Sleep Duration and Quality Among Women Aged 40–59 by Menopausal Status
