ECR wears blue in honour of World Diabetes Day
Did you know that sleep is strongly connected to your blood sugar levels?
This World Diabetes Day, East Coast Radio is wearing blue to raise awareness and encourage people to get tested and live healthier.
World Diabetes Day is observed on November 14, as a reminder that millions of people are affected by diabetes. Diabetes is also a leading cause of natural deaths in our communities after Tuberculosis (TB).
This day helps us create awareness and also encourages people to make healthier choices in their lifestyles. The theme for this year is 'Diabetes and well-being'.
Medical aid scheme, Medshield, particularly draws focus to the concept of sleep and rest, and its role in diabetes.
Sleep plays a vital role in managing your diabetes. Poor sleep can lead to higher blood sugar levels, unhealthy food choices, and less energy for daily activities.
While it may seem like an obvious choice to get enough sleep, it isn't always prioritised. Sometimes, this is due to demanding lifestyles, resulting in early mornings and late nights.
This could also contribute to unhealthy eating habits, such as binge eating, consuming fast food, and having no time to exercise.
A lack of sleep increases stress hormones, which can lead to high blood sugar levels.
While it may seem nearly impossible to find time out of your busy day to rest, eat well, hydrate with water, and exercise, pushing your body to its maximum might eventually lead to dire consequences. Therefore, it's best to make the time to care for and nurture your health today.
Tips to get better sleep:
- As challenging as it sounds, having a regular and consistent sleep schedule can help your health and wellbeing.
- This is a big one for many people who insist they cannot go to bed without scrolling on their phones. To get a better sleep, limit your screen time and caffeine before bed.
- Your environment plays a role in sleeping, so create a calm and cool environment. Keep it dark, quiet, and neat, and use a humidifier. Additionally, cool the room with a fan or air conditioner before you go to sleep.
- Consult a healthcare professional if you feel your sleep patterns are erratic and restless.
- A comfortable bed, pillows and bedding for a restful night's sleep. Invest in these to ensure you have a good sleep; if you cannot, then at least look into a good pillow, it will make a world of difference.
- Practice a bedtime meditation; this will help calm your mind and is known to help you drift into a deeper sleep.
- Don't eat too late in the evening, try to have your dinner four to five hours before going to bed so your body has digested the food. When you eat too late, your blood sugar levels elevate, your body is focused on digesting, so you don't feel rested, and you could also suffer from acid reflux.
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