How Sleep Affects Diabetes: Ayurvedic Insights and Remedies
Thomas Dekker was so right in saying, “Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together” when we see it in the sleep and diabetes context.
Like food and water, sleep is a basic need that our body demands for its normal functioning and overall health. When we talk about sleep’s effect on diabetes, new studies have pointed to the two-way relationship between sleep and diabetes. Sleep deficiency aggravates insulin resistance and raises cortisol levels, resulting in various complications related to it. On the other hand, unmanaged diabetes may lead to poor sleep, making this vicious cycle go on. Problems related to sleep such as sleep apnea, sleeplessness, and restless leg syndrome are more common among people with diabetes.
How sleep affects diabetes
Insulin resistance: Reduced sleep disturbs glucose absorption in the cell and insulin resistance, disrupting the body’s blood sugar level controlling mechanism.
Hormonal disturbances: Poor sleep raises the stress hormone, cortisol, which may elevate blood glucose levels.
Weight-related issues: Sleep disturbances or lack of sleep prompt one to eat at night, especially cravings for sugary and high-calorie foods contribute to gaining weight. Obesity or weight gain is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Weak immunity: Lack of sleep dwindles immunity, causing a diabetic to be more prone to infections.
Ayurvedic Insights on the effects of sleep on diabetes.
Ayurveda sees sleep disturbance as a Vata dosha imbalance issue. The natural rhythm of one’s body has a big impact on sleep, the disturbance of which brings up metabolic disorders like diabetes. Ayurveda describes Ahara (food), Vihara(lifestyle), and Nidra (sleep) as three cornerstones of well-being. This triad helps in normal body functions such as good digestion, cell rejuvenation, and hormonal balance, which are basic for the management of diabetes.
Ayurvedic Remedies for Better Sleep and Diabetes Control
Ayurveda believes in an approach that balances sleep and blood sugar levels, and it suggests some remedies that can help achieve this. A few of them are:
1. Balancing the Doshas
As vata dosha is responsible for sleep-related problems, includes foods that pacify vata such as warm milk with clarified butter or nutmeg before bed. Oil massages are also suggested in ayurvedic treatment for sleeplessness.
Kapha dosha balancing is needed for better diabetes management and for that focus on lighter meals in the evening. Include herbal teas in your diabetes diet chart to stimulate metabolism and digestion.
2. Everyday Practice
A steady routine assists in regulating the body’s circadian rhythms. This helps regulate sleep as well as glucose metabolism. The routine should focus on the following:
- Don’t consume heavy meals or caffeine before sleep.
- Finish your day with a light exercise, yoga, or meditation.
- Strike out kapha aggravating oily and spicy foods from your diabetes diet for the night.
- Add turmeric, fenugreek, and cinnamon to your daily diet.
- Regular massage with warm oils releases stress
- Drink herbal teas instead of caffeinated beverages.
- Include good practices such as reading or listening to calming music before sleep, and putting your mobile phones away.
3. Herbal Remedies
Several herbs promote sleep as well as support in managing diabetes. Herbs like Ashwagandha, Brahmi, and Shankhpushpi are known for their calming and cognitive health-promoting properties. They improve sleep by soothing the nervous system. Guduchi helps in balancing sugar levels and promotes better sleep. Ayurvedic medicine for diabetes with herbs and natural ingredients helps manage diabetes as well as improve sleep quality.
4. Ayurvedic Medicines for Diabetes
Ayurvedic scriptures mention a bounty of therapeutic herbs that promote sleep, and effectively balance hormones in the body, indirectly helping in the fight against insomnia. Ayurvedic remedies such as Noni D Care and Noni Diaba Care are known to have herbs that not only help regulate blood sugars but also improve sleep quality as well as balance hormone levels.
Noni D Care has a perfect mix of noni, a fruit abundant in medicinal properties, and herbs. This ayurvedic remedy for diabetes strengthens the vital organs of the body, inhibiting further damage often caused by the side effects of diabetes. It soothes the nervous system, relieving stress, the key factor affecting sleep.
Noni D Care controls blood pressure with herbal components, vitamins, minerals, and natural antioxidants, marking itself as a tonic for heart health.
5. Breathing Exercises and Meditation
Meditation reduces stress and relaxes the nervous system. Stress has been a major risk factor for developing diabetes. It also causes sleep disturbances or even lack of sleep. Pranayama and meditation improve mind and body balance if practiced regularly. Breathing methods like 2:1 and 4-7-8 improve sleep and sleep quality if exercised before sleep.
6. Nasya Therapy
In this therapy, medicated oil is administered into the nostrils. Nasya therapy in ayurvedic practice calms the mind and improves sleep. This is one of the detoxification processes in panchakarma therapy. Panchakarma therapy is done to balance Tridosha in the body, resulting in better sleep and diabetes management.
Combining Ayurveda with Contemporary Medicine
Ayurvedic practices help in managing diabetes and improving sleep; however, combining ayurveda with contemporary medicine can be beneficial. Regular blood sugar monitoring and taking prescribed medications under the consultation of medical healthcare personnel is essential.
So, we can conclude sleep has a strong connection with diabetes. Ayurveda shows the way to manage both with a balanced approach. Dosha balancing and sleep-improving diets and exercises, herbal remedies, and stress-relieving practices such as yoga and pranayama if added to your routine can help manage diabetes well. This way you can break the vicious cycle of uncontrolled sugar levels and sleep disturbance, and enjoy a healthy and happy life with restful sleep.
