Diabetes Self-Management – September 2019

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from a screen or an argument directly
into sleep, count yourself lucky. Most
people can’t; they benefit from follow-
ing strategies like these:

• Do a quiet half-hour before bed
  with meditation, quiet music, prayer,
  cuddling or other quiet time. Go
  around the house; turn off the lights
  to mimic sunset. Maybe listen to a
  relaxation tape. Resolve any last-minute
  minor crises with children, house or
  pets so they won’t worry you.


• Eat a snack, so your sugar doesn’t
  drop during the night. Protein is good;
  fats and complex carbs are also OK.
  Ask your diabetes educator, dietitian
  or doctor for suggestions.


• Try to go to bed and wake up at
  the same time each day, even on week-
  ends. That helps get your body into a
  regular routine.


• Tell yourself, “I’ve done all I can
  for today. I will do the rest another day.
  Now it is time to sleep.”
  You might want to imagine your
  immune system getting ready to fix up
  your blood vessels and nerves while you
  sleep, like the elves that made shoes
  for the old shoemaker overnight in
  the fable.

Things to avoid at night

• Don’t do vigorous exercise before
  bed. It revs you up. Vigorous exercise
  is good in the day so you’ll be tired,
  and gentle exercise such as stretching
  or yoga work better at night.
  
  
  • Avoid eating a large meal before
    bedtime, which can cause heartburn,
    or drinking a large amount of liquid
    before bedtime, which can wake you
    up during the night to urinate.
  
  
  • Avoid alcohol, caffeine and nico-
    tine, especially right before bedtime.
    Caffeine and nicotine are both stimu-
    lants. Alcohol, which is a depressant,
    keeps you in the light stages of sleep,
    making you feel less refreshed in the
    morning.
  
  
  • Don’t go to bed until you are
    sleepy. Your body won’t sleep if it’s
    not tired, and lying awake can become
    a habit. Sleep experts stress that you
    should learn to associate your bed only
    with sleep and sex, certainly not with
    stressful things like tossing and turning,
    watching news or playing video games.
  
  
  • If you wake up in the night for any
    reason and can’t get back to sleep, give
    it five minutes. Then stop. Get up and
    do something monotonous, like fold-
  
  
  
  

ing laundry or reading a boring book

or something else relaxing, then come

back and try again.

What about sleep medications?

If you’re going through a stressful

time or living in a difficult environ-

ment temporarily, and nothing else

seems to help, you might ask your

doctor about medicine to help you

sleep. There are several types, includ-

ing antidepressants, e.g., Elavil; anti-

anxiety drugs, e.g., Restoril; GABA

medicines, e.g., Ambien; and allergy

pills like Benadryl. All have different

side effects and take different amount

of time to work. All have some risk

of developing a dependence, mean-

ing they lose effectiveness over time.

They sometimes make older users

more likely to fall. And sometimes

they leave you feeling so tired the

next day you may as well have not

slept at all. Talk about them with

your doctor or pharmacist. In most

cases, checking for problems like

sleep apnea, making your environ-

ment more conducive to sleep, and

practicing good sleep strategies will

get you the rest you need. †

36 September/October 2019