Managing Sleep Problems

What complicates this issue is a common belief that problems with sleep are not really medical in nature and that conviction is often preventing people from seeking professional help.

That's why it is so important to provide information, discuss new facts about sleep, and make people aware how important a sound sleep is to our health.

Poor sleep habits (referred to as hygiene) are one of the most common problems encountered in our society. We stay up too late and get up too early. We interrupt our sleep with drugs, chemicals, work, and we overstimulate ourselves with late-night activities such as television.

An evaluation by the patient's personal physician or a sleep specialist often helps get to the root of the problem. Many patients respond well to what is called "cognitive behavioral therapy." In this form of therapy, incorrect ideas about sleep are corrected. In addition, relaxation and behavioral techniques may be used to help patients fall asleep. This combined with treatment of any underlying disorders is often the best way to treat the devastating symptom of insomnia.

If you suspect that you may have a sleep disorder, discuss your symptoms with your primary care doctor. He or she can perform a physical exam and help you identify the difficulties you are having with sleep. Keeping a sleep diary for two weeks may be helpful to your doctor. Some illnesses can cause disturbed sleep, so your doctor may order tests to rule out other conditions.

If your doctor suspects that you have a sleep disorder, he or she may refer you to a sleep disorder clinic. A sleep specialist will review your symptoms and may suggest that you undergo a sleep study.

A sleep study or polysomnogram (PSG) is a multiple-component test that electronically transmits and records specific physical activities while you sleep. The recordings become data that are analyzed by a qualified physician to determine whether or not you have a sleep disorder.

Fat Belly and Sugar Consumption

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that's extremely calorie-dense. At four calories for each gram of sugar, it's easy to go overboard on sweet treats and beverages and not know it. According to medical experts, sugar consumption, especially the added sugars from soft drinks, is directly tied to weight gain and obesity -- increased body fat.

Consider all of the known sugars you consume in a day: candy bars, soda, sugared cereals, cookies. Add to that the hidden sugars that you consume. Take a look at the nutritional information for any of the foods you regularly eat. Under the "carbohydrates" count, there is a count for "sugars." High amounts of sugar are in a surprising number of things that you eat every day. Once you become aware of how many processed foods contain sugar, you'll be astounded at how much sugar you eat every day.

Excess sugar, salt and fat causes bloating and water retention. It also causes weight gain [fat.] Eating too much sugar spikes your blood sugar which causes you to eat more and your metabolism goes down. You don't have the proper nutrition for energy. That's why people feel sluggish after eating sugary candy, even though people think it makes them hyper. I don't think it's the one and only cause of stomach fat, but I think it's a contributing cause of fat in general.

Sugar addiction is no easy thing to kick, but the hardest part is the first step. Many sugar addicts report that if they can just get by the first few days or a week without sugar, their cravings almost entirely disappear. The problem is that if they fall off the wagon even once, the sugar jonesing comes back with a vengeance. It’s like they never stopped at all.

That points to one key strategy – get all the refined sugar out of your house and never buy more. Sure, you can still trip up by visiting a mini-mart, restaurant, or coffee shop, but the best thing is to remove all temptation from your immediate vicinity. Often, it’s that quick craving that would be relatively easy to face down if you had no sugary treats staring you in the face that proves to be your undoing. If you have nothing which to grab, you can get past it. If there’s a plate of cookies, a slice of cake, or a box of sweet crackers within reach, all bets are off.

Stress and High Blood Sugar Levels

Stress is hard on your body-and can aggravate diabetes. Here's how to take control.

Researchers have linked dozens of physical symptoms to stress overload, from fatigue to weight gain. Add another symptom to that list: the risk for high blood sugar.

When you're stressed, your body is primed to take action. This "gearing up" is what causes your heart to beat faster, your breath to quicken, and your stomach to knot. It also triggers your blood sugar levels to skyrocket. "Under stress, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, raising blood sugar levels to prepare you for action," says Richard Surwit, PhD, author of The Mind-Body Diabetes Revolution and chief of medical psychology at Duke University in Durham, NC. If your cells are insulin resistant, the sugar builds up in your blood, with nowhere to go. We have no shortage of short-term stress in our lives. We may get stuck in a traffic jam, wrangle with a worker at the department of motor vehicles, or put up with in-laws for the holidays.

It's easy to find out whether mental stress affects your glucose control. Before checking your glucose levels, write down a number rating your mental stress level on a scale of 1 to 10. Then write down your glucose level next to it. After a week or two, look for a pattern. Drawing a graph may help you see trends better. Do high stress levels often occur with high glucose levels, and low stress levels with low glucose levels? If so, stress may affect your glucose control.

There are many, many ways to teach yourself to handle stress better-and you can learn. It just comes down to making the commitment and taking the time to learn one (or more). One way to start on the road to low-stress living is to seek out a local stress-relief class, which are offered by many hospitals, YMCAs, and adult-education programs.