Sugar Makes Me Sleepy Why Does This Happen And What Can I Do About It
Weve all experienced it before you had a few more slices of cake than you should and now you feel like you are going to fall asleep at any moment. When this happens, most people write it off as regular exhaustion. However, there is more to this phenomenon than meets the eye. If youve been wondering, why do I get tired after I eat? or Is it normal that sugar makes me really sleepy? We have all the answers to your questions in this article.
Eat Fat Fiber And Protein At Each Meal
Boosting energy levels when you have diabetes is largely tied to making sure weâre doing everything we can to promote stable blood sugar levels. This goes for people with type 2 diabetes and any other type of diabetes. This is where balancing our meals and snacks with fat, fiber, and protein comes into to play.
Dont totally ditch carbs with meals and snacks. Carbohydrates are the bodys preferred source of fuel. It is ok to add fruit, beans or rice to a salad. A salad with chicken is great but your body may need a bit more than that to keep you going, says KeyVion Miller RDN, LD/N, Food and Nutrition Blogger of The Millers Kitchen.
What Causes People With Diabetes To Be Tired
Two common reasons for tiredness or lethargy are having too high or too low blood sugar levels.
In both cases, the tiredness is the result of having an imbalance between ones level of blood glucose and the amount or effectiveness of circulating insulin.
If you feel tired during the day, despite having slept well, it could be a result of either high or low sugar levels.
It is best to test your blood glucose levels to see whether the tiredness is indeed a result of having high or low sugar levels.
This is particularly important for people on insulin.
- Read about the recommended blood glucose levels ranges
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Detecting Blood Sugar Spikes
Fatigue is related to a numberless of other conditions, along with day-to-day life as well as other stressors, so it alone does not tell an individual whether he or she is experiencing a raised level of glucose. Diabetics are encouraged to keep checks over their blood glucose levels to sense any abrupt alterations. This can be a very common way by which people can detect blood sugar spikes.
Also, the most common reason behind hyperglycemia is inappropriate insulin production. Insulin is the hormone that plays a key role in regulating blood glucose levels, and if it is not being formed at sufficient levels or at all, it may cause high glucose levels.
Some reasons why insulin levels in the body become insufficient, including:
- Consuming in excess
- Not receiving a sufficient amount of insulin from treatment
- Being stressed all the time
- Having a broken diabetes pump
- Using insulin that is unsuccessful at managing blood glucose levels
Other risk factors that must be considered are age, weight, history of smoking, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. These may add to diabetes.
Parents Of Children With Diabetes
If your child has diabetes and shows symptoms of hypoglycemia, its important to check their blood glucose level with a glucometer. If this is not possible, it is best to treat them as if they have hypoglycemia by giving them carbohydrates to prevent symptoms from getting worse.
Your child should have a safety plan in place for when they are not in your care, such as when they are at school, friends homes, or daycare. The plan should include whom they should talk to if they are not feeling well.
Talking to your child about their diabetes and the symptoms to be aware of helps keep them safe. When your child is aware that how theyre feeling is related to their blood sugar levels and diabetes management, they can learn to both self-identify and verbalize or signal to their parents when they need treatment.
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An Ounce Of Prevention
As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It is best to follow a diet that will prevent your blood sugar levels from dropping in the afternoon, rather than trying to correct blood sugar levels once they are low. Dr. Alicia Stanton, an expert on women’s health, recommends eating small meals every 2 to 3 hours. These meals should consist of a lean protein, such as chicken, turkey or fish, and a complex carbohydrate, such as vegetables, fruits, quinoa, beans or legumes. Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast, like oatmeal, every day.
Why Am I Having Lows
If you are experiencing low blood sugar and youre not sure why, bring a record of blood sugar, insulin, exercise and food data to a health care provider. Together, you can review all your data to figure out the cause of the lows.
The more information you can give your health care provider, the better they can work with you to understand what’s causing the lows. Your provider may be able to help prevent low blood sugar by adjusting the timing of insulin dosing, exercise and meals or snacks. Changing insulin doses or the types of food you eat may also do the trick.
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How To Treat Someone Whos Unconscious Or Very Sleepy
Follow these steps:
They may need to go to hospital if theyre being sick , or their blood sugar level drops again.
Tell your diabetes care team if you ever have a severe hypo that caused you to lose consciousness.
Cut Back On The Obvious Sources
Sugar-sweetened beverages, including soda, energy drinks, and coffee drinks, contain a lot of added sugar. Smoothies, juice drinks, and fruit juices frequently boast big sugar numbers, too. Opt for still water, sparkling water, or chilled unsweetened tea instead of sugar-packed sips. Or squeeze a lemon or lime into your water to add natural sweetness.
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Overdose Of Diabetes Medication
A common cause of hypoglycaemia is taking too much insulin for your current needs. Insulin is a medication that helps control your blood glucose levels. It’s commonly used to treat type 1 diabetes and is also recommended for some people with type 2 diabetes.
A fall in blood glucose levels can also occur after taking too much oral hypoglycaemia medication, such as sulphonylurea, which causes a release of insulin. This medication is often used to lower blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
How Can I Be Better Prepared For Hypoglycemia
You can take some steps to be ready for hypoglycemia:
- Be aware of the symptoms and treat them early.
- Carry some fast-acting carbs with you all the time.
- Check your glucose levels frequently, especially around meals and exercise.
- Inform family, friends and co-workers so they know what do if you need help.
- Talk to your healthcare provider regularly to make and update your plan.
- Wear a medical bracelet that lets people know you have diabetes. Carry a card in your purse or wallet with instructions for hypoglycemia.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Hypoglycemia is quite common in people with diabetes. If not treated, it can cause troubling symptoms, and even serious health problems. Fortunately, you can avoid hypoglycemic episodes by monitoring your blood sugar. You can also make small adjustments to eating and exercising routines.
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Could My Fatigue Be Linked To My Depression About Diabetes
Diabetes is a very stressful disease. It takes a lot of time and energy to plan meals and insulin dosages. Having all of the stress can lead to depression. People with diabetes are twice as likely to have depression as those without diabetes.
Depression is a major cause of fatigue, and can make it even harder to manage diabetes because of lack of motivation. It is important that individuals with depression seek help from their doctor/therapist to make sure that they are able to care for themselves. Learning coping mechanisms to deal with your depression which is linked to your diabetes will be effective in the long term.
Practice Healthy Sleep Habits
Your daytime drowsiness may be worsened by poor nighttime sleep. Make sure to:
- Sleep in a dark room. Use heavy, lined curtains and block out as much light as possible. Get blackout curtains if not feasible.
- Avoid using electronic devices before bed, even the tiny amount of light from a phone or alarm clock can delay your circadian rhythm ! The best way to make sure this happens is to put your device on airplane mode before bed.
- Limit eating at night. Eating too close to bedtime activates the digestive system, which is likely whats keeping you up later than usual anyway! Avoid eating after 7 PM if possible and be aware of how your body feels after eating late at night.
- Exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime . Exercise helps burn off sugar throughout the day and is shown to improve sleep quality as well!
- Avoid caffeine after 2 PM if possible, caffeine can last in your system longer than youd think! And being awake when it wears off can induce grogginess.
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Could Blood Sugar Imbalances Be The Cause Of Your Fatigue
September 8, 2013 By Chelsea Gronick
One of the most common complaints naturopathic and functional medicine doctors hear from new patients in their office is that they are suffering from fatigue. Digging deeper, it is their goal to uncover WHY you may be feeling fatigued so that they can address the root cause. They will likely ask many questions to try get a clearer picture of where your imbalances may lie. Often, blood sugar imbalances are one of those causes and are commonly overlooked.
Symptoms of Blood Sugar Imbalances. Is this you?
Reactive hypoglycemia symptoms
- Increased energy after meals
- Cravings for sweets between meals
- Irritability if meals are missed
- Dependency on coffee and sugar for energy
- Becoming light headed if meals are missed
- Eating to relieve fatigue
- Feeling shaky, jittery or tremulous
- Feeling agitated and nervous
- Waking in the middle of the night to urinate
Insulin resistance symptoms
- Fatigue after meals
- Cravings for sweets not relieved by eating them
- Must have sweets after meals
- Waist girth equal to or larger than hip girth
- Frequent urination
- Difficulty losing weight
- Migrating aches and pain
What can I do about this?
1. Eat a breakfast of high quality protein and fat . Even if you are not hungry, try to have a few bites as starting the day off with balanced blood sugar sets you up for a productive, energy-filled day. Your body will thank you!
8. Avoid of limit caffeine as the stimulation to the adrenal glands promotes further blood sugar imbalances.
How Do I Treat Low Blood Glucose
If you begin to feel one or more symptoms of low blood glucose, check your blood glucose level. If your blood glucose level is below your target or less than 70 mg/dL, follow these steps
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What Are The Signs Of Hypoglycemia
An individual may frequently wake up in the middle of the night as a result of nighttime hypoglycemia. In other instances, though, people may know if they experienced hypoglycemia during their sleep if they notice the following symptoms:
- Waking up with a headache
- Waking up in a sweat
- Getting unusual feelings of tiredness throughout the day
- Experiencing anxiety or heart palpitations
- Feeling confused, dizzy or weak
Does High Blood Sugar Cause Fatigue And Tired Feeling
In fact, fatigue & tired feeling are pretty common in people with hyperglycemia or high blood sugar. Hyperglycemia is a condition when the amount of glucose in the bloodstream is higher than normal. It may signal that something goes awry with the glucose metabolism in the body.
How does glucose metabolism work?
The performance of your glucose metabolism is closely associated with the fluctuation of your blood sugar. In most healthy people, their blood glucose levels do not fluctuate widely throughout the day.
Typically, your blood glucose reaches its peak level during eating and after meal. And for the lowest level, it usually occurs between meals. If you are fasting for at least 8 hours, your blood sugar also decreases lower.
The fit status of your hormone insulin is very crucial for your glucose metabolism.
Without good performance of insulin, your body cannot convert the glucose to become energy. To get a specific amount of energy, glucose taken from foods need to be absorbed first by cells and muscles of the body from the bloodstream. And insulin has a significant contribution for the mechanism of this absorption.
Not all glucose is directly converted to become energy. Some may be stored in your liver as glycogen and in your fat cells as fat. They can be converted again into energy when your body needs.
How does high blood sugar cause fatigue, weakness, and tired feeling?
Whats more?
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Causes Of Lightheadedness May Be Dehydration Medication Side Effects Sudden Blood Pressure Drops Low Blood Sugar And Heart Disease Or Stroke
Feeling woozy, lightheaded, or a little faint is a common complaint among older adults. Although it’s not usually caused by anything life-threatening, it could be, so you need to be careful.
“Don’t ignore it. Even if the lightheadedness does not have a serious cause, it could lead to serious injuries from a fall. And at the worst, the cause may itself be life-threatening,” says Dr. Shamai Grossman, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School.
If you feel lightheaded and/or woozy, Dr. Grossman recommends having a drink of water or orange juice and lying down. If symptoms last more than 15 minutes, he says it’s time to seek medical help in an urgent or emergency care setting. Even if symptoms are brief, and even if you think you know the cause, report the lightheadedness to your doctor.
So What Causes Low Blood Sugar
Interestingly, the most common cause of super low blood sugar is diabetes medication. People with diabetes take insulin because their bodies dont produce enough of it naturally. But sometimes the insulin dose is too much, or the person hasnt eaten enough to need the insulin.
Theres also something called reactive hypoglycemia that occurs several hours after your last meal. Its likely related to a disrupted eating schedule, like skipping your usual breakfast or drinking alcohol without food.
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Its The Type Of Carb Not The Quantity That Counts
Reducing sugar doesnt mean you need to reduce carbs. One study looked at the quantity and quality of carbs consumed by nearly 70,000 women who had completed menopause. Researchers applied a glycemic index score to each food they analyzed. Foods with high GI scores, which raise blood sugar levels more, are often made from simple carbs and filled with simple sugars. The results showed that women who ate high-GI foods had a higher risk of depression than people who ate lower-GI foods. Women who ate a higher amount of lower-GI foods, such as vegetables and non-juiced fruit, had a lower risk for depression.
The results mean that carbohydrates in general arent the cause for depression and other mental health disorders. Instead, its the quality of the carbs you eat that can impact your depression risk.
Why You Feel Tired
When you feel tired, its because you either
Does this make sense?
If your pancreas is unable to produce a sufficient amount of insulin, or if you are not reacting properly to insulin, your cells wont receive the right amount of glucose that they need to produce energy.
The result is that you feel tired all the time, you become forgetful, you cant think clearly and many people become moody.
So no sugar rush, but the exact opposite and many times, a sugar crash.
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