Page 104 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2024

HEALTHY LIVING
story by
Nickie Harris-Ray
A good diet, routine exercise, and sleep are essential for a healthy lifestyle. It is commonly known how a bad diet and sedentary lifestyle affect health, especially the diet and restless days encountered during the holiday season. However, some research has revealed the role sleep plays in health. Sleep quality closely affects the risk of many life-threatening medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
Sleeping disorders and health problems are related, taking into account how the body manages blood sugar levels at rest. Sleep conditions like obstructive sleep apnea are associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes and have complicated associations with the disease. The Na- tional Sleep Foundation has pointed out a link between the duration and quality of sleep and your body's ability to regulate blood glucose.
Blood sugar levels increase at night, whether you are sleeping or at a holiday get-together. This is part of the body's normal circadian rhythm cycle. Typically, fluctu- ations in blood sugars occur during sleep and overnight. This is usually not an issue if you are in good health. But,
unregulated sleep can lead to blood sugar increases to unhealthy levels. Insulin resistance elevation can occur at any sleep deprivation level, leading to increased blood sugar levels. Therefore, lack of sleep is often associated with diabetes.
According to a study in the American Journal of Phys- iology, plasma insulin, and glucose release rates went
up with earlier bedtimes but returned to pre-sleep levels during later bedtimes. Durning times of sleep depriva- tion, significant differences in insulin and glucose levels were discovered. During the first part of the night, levels were unchanging, then went down rapidly. The study's re- sult was that sleep substantially affects the glucose used by your brain and tissues. This alludes to interrupted normal sleep patterns negatively affecting glucose levels.
Physical health and sleep are closely connected, so, unsurprisingly, sleep influences blood sugar levels in the body. However, this relationship is complex; no single formula thoroughly explains the exact link between blood sugar fluctuations and sleep. Just be mindful of the rela- tionship during your holiday excursions...
104 | December 2024
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