Adults Living with Type 2

[Ralph]

"This week, one more study has shown that getting less than six hours of sleep is not something to brag about. It can significantly increase your risk of stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure. This adds to a growing body of research that getting inadequate sleep can not only increase your risk of a number of health problems including obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, but can hurt your performance at work as well."

Too little sleep has also been linked to glucose intolerance, diabetes and high blood pressure

[lizzylou Diabetes Brain Trust]

Yep, sleeping is very important for your numbers too:

Get Some Sleep Folks

Lizzy

[goldensun]

Didn't they come out with a study recently that said using sleeping pills is associated with a substantial risk of death?  What is an insomniac to do?

[morrisolder]

Then again, when it comes to the amount of sleep needed, YMMV--

there are a number of quite famous thinkers and doers who got by with minimal hours of sleep...

which is not to say that getting less than you need is a good idea...

[mrstopdog]

My symptoms began 2 1/2 years ago with severe head pain when I stood up and/or sat down.  Took many doctors and specialists to come to various diagnosis.  I didn't take care of myself much....was just surviving taking care of 2 kids, a husband, a home and an ungrateful full time job.  The pain put me down and out of commission.  Found heart problem, blood pressure and joint problems, inflammation and, yes, sleep problems.  Sometimes I would get 3 hours of sleep only.  After a sleep test, found out I stopped breathing 30 times a minute at night.  I happily use a CPAP machine every night and get 7 hours of sleep.  I do use a benedryl and klonopin every night, but nothing beats a good nights sleep!!

[Ralph]

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goldensun wrote:

Didn't they come out with a study recently that said using sleeping pills is associated with a substantial risk of death?  What is an insomniac to do?

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I'm one who has to deal with sleep apnea and insomnia, the sleep apnea problem was solved with CPAP.  The insomnia required a different method, and there are many.  I started using brainwave entrainment therapy using binaural beats by listening to delta wave audio tones on CD's at night and it has been a miracle cure for my insomnia.  In addition to the BWE therapy I read the book Sleep Disorders for Dummies and got a lot of good additional information out of the section on insomnia.  After putting it all together I have had the best sleep of my life in the past few months and it has made a world of difference in how I feel during the day, no more daytime drowsiness at all.

[Ralph]

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mrstopdog wrote:

After a sleep test, found out I stopped breathing 30 times a minute at night.  I happily use a CPAP machine every night and get 7 hours of sleep.  I do use a benedryl and klonopin every night, but nothing beats a good nights sleep!!

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My sleep study found I had 20 incidents of stopped breathing per hour, still too many, now with the CPAP I'm down to >2 per hour and sleeping a whole lot better than I have done in a very long time.

[lizzylou Diabetes Brain Trust]

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goldensun wrote:

Didn't they come out with a study recently that said using sleeping pills is associated with a substantial risk of death?  What is an insomniac to do?

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That was probably prescription meds.  I just use an OTC one.  It has the same ingredient as Benedril and works great for me.  I only use half a tab each night.  I'd be afraid to take something that can cause you to sleep walk or worse yet sleep eat! Eck!

Lizzy 

[lizzylou Diabetes Brain Trust]

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morrisolder wrote:

Then again, when it comes to the amount of sleep needed, YMMV--

there are a number of quite famous thinkers and doers who got by with minimal hours of sleep...

which is not to say that getting less than you need is a good idea...

---

Then again many conditions are much worse without proper sleep, such as fibromyalgia.  One night of bad sleep and my pain levels increase at least 50%.  Fibro actually causes sleep problems.

I got by with only an average of 4-5 hours of sleep a night for decades.  It didn't stop me from thinking or doing, just caused me much increased pain levels.

Lizzy