# blood sugar and insomnia?



## worriedwithfear (Sep 3, 2017)

For almost 4 months now I've been experiencing on going night time symptoms where I'll wake up anywhere from 130am - 530am. 
Around 6am I can fall asleep again for another couple of hours. I've been recording all my waking up times and how I feel. My average waking up time at night is anywhere between 2am and 4am.

Last few nights I've woken up between at like 2am - 3am after just one hour of sleep and can't get back to sleep, this is seriously frustrating. I don't feel hungry or having any cravings as such but I'll wake up feeling like I've just slept 7-8 hours! And then the weird thing is, is that I hardly ever even feel tired throughout the rest of the day. Makes no sense. So during the day time and waking hours I'm fine. Now I did hear that imbalanced blood sugar levels can cause these kind of erratic sleeping patterns and middle of the night insomnia where you'll awake at like 3am due to your BS levels crashing. Is this correct? I checked my blood sugar levels back in Jan after meals during the day and it was normal. 

I don't have any other symptoms really (although yesterday I was feeling a bit spaced out on and off).


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

I think that if your blood sugar levels were low, you would feel run down and exhausted with so little sleep.

You might want to do some reading on "sleep hygiene". There are things you can do to help you get back to a healthy sleep pattern.

One of the things that might be off are your melatonin levels. If you are on the computer or watching TV until late, the light can mess with your body's production of melatonin. It's the hormone that makes you sleepy and keeps you asleep.

You can actually buy melatonin tablets at the drug store to help you get the levels up. I use it when I have trouble sleeping and it usually helps. Though you will want to take it when you first go to bed, not when you wake up in the middle of the night.


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## Andy1001 (Jun 29, 2016)

worriedwithfear said:


> For almost 4 months now I've been experiencing on going night time symptoms where I'll wake up anywhere from 130am - 530am.
> Around 6am I can fall asleep again for another couple of hours. I've been recording all my waking up times and how I feel. My average waking up time at night is anywhere between 2am and 4am.
> 
> Last few nights I've woken up between at like 2am - 3am after just one hour of sleep and can't get back to sleep, this is seriously frustrating. I don't feel hungry or having any cravings as such but I'll wake up feeling like I've just slept 7-8 hours! And then the weird thing is, is that I hardly ever even feel tired throughout the rest of the day. Makes no sense. So during the day time and waking hours I'm fine. Now I did hear that imbalanced blood sugar levels can cause these kind of erratic sleeping patterns and middle of the night insomnia where you'll awake at like 3am due to your BS levels crashing. Is this correct? I checked my blood sugar levels back in Jan after meals during the day and it was normal.
> ...


When you wake up during the night do you need to urinate,if you need to urinate every couple of hours this can be a sign of high blood sugar levels.
As regards to being awake,why not just get up and do something.Speaking as someone who has never slept for more than a couple of hours at a time it’s amazing what you can acomplish during this time.


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## Mommame2 (Oct 8, 2017)

What treatment are you seeking for your anxiety? Where is your mind when you first wake up?

If you're waking feeling like you've slept 7-8 hours (rested), you're probably getting enough sleep. Be productive if you can't sleep. 

I'm not sure why you would wonder about blood sugar, or prostate cancer, for that matter. Aren't you a healthy 30 something year old? 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## veganmermaid (Jun 17, 2016)

Didn’t your doctor prescribe you Remeron way back when... and then you discontinued? 

Remeron is usually used to reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, decrease insomnia. What are you doing to address these symptoms? Therapy? Anti-anxiety meds? Antidepressants?


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## worriedwithfear (Sep 3, 2017)

veganmermaid said:


> Didn’t your doctor prescribe you Remeron way back when... and then you discontinued?
> 
> Remeron is usually used to reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, decrease insomnia. What are you doing to address these symptoms? Therapy? Anti-anxiety meds? Antidepressants?


Yes, well I developed these erratic sleeping patterns whilst I was on the Remeron and my urination patterns were a little off as well, hence why I stopped taking it. Been almost 3 months since I stopped and not keen to go back on it. Clearly it didn't really work. 




Mommame2 said:


> What treatment are you seeking for your anxiety? Where is your mind when you first wake up? If you're waking feeling like you've slept 7-8 hours (rested), you're probably getting enough sleep. Be productive if you can't sleep.
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Surely though 2-3 hours of sleep every night is nowhere enough sleep enough if you feel like it was longer. I guess in the short term it may be ok but in the long run, that can't be good hence why it concerns me. So when I wake, I do feel this strange slight sensation like I want to pee but strangely it lessens when I'm fully awake and I don't really need to go at all. I guess this in itself triggers more anxious thoughts because I think why am I waking up at this time etc. when I shouldn't be. 



Andy1001 said:


> As regards to being awake,why not just get up and do something.Speaking as someone who has never slept for more than a couple of hours at a time it’s amazing what you can acomplish during this time.


So this is your normal pattern? How many hours do you get every night?


I realise there are many reasons why I would have this "middle of the night" insomnia but I think what set me off was when I read that unbalanced blood sugars can cause it. Stress, anxiety is the most common cause, however I am sceptical of this as the things I'm presently worried and troubled about are issues that have always been troubling me for years, so it's nothing new. There haven't been any major, drastic changes in my life that would cause me to wake up like this. 

I have been to the doctor recently and he just mentioned to cut out all the caffeine before bed which I'm trying to do. However I read that chamomile tea can help with sleep. Tried it last night, hasn't worked as I'm up, wide awake again at 330am. Occasionally I'll feel the slight need to pee but strangely, it lessens the longer I'm up. 

I'll go back to the doctor and see what can be done next but I'm just wary of taking medication I guess. I've never had an issue with sleep before.


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## veganmermaid (Jun 17, 2016)

worriedwithfear said:


> Yes, well I developed these erratic sleeping patterns whilst I was on the Remeron and my urination patterns were a little off as well, hence why I stopped taking it. Been almost 3 months since I stopped and not keen to go back on it. Clearly it didn't really work.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




If nothing had changed, what led you to start Remeron?


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## worriedwithfear (Sep 3, 2017)

I thought I'd update this thread. 
So since I last posted, from around the end of March my sleep improved. I was sleeping through more nights than not and this waking up in the middle of the night seemed to end. I didn't really change my diet or anything, if anything I have and am still trying to decrease my overall sugar intake. So that's almost two months of much better sleep patterns, at least they were less erratic. 

But now for the past 4/5 nights it's back! On Monday I woke up at 2am, the next night again at 230am, last night at 215am and so on after just an hour or two of sleep. And it's that wide awake feeling where I cannot get back to sleep. Eventually I do get back to sleep around 5am and manage to sleep for a few hours so thankfully I'm not too sleep deprived and still feel largely well rested. 

Anyway this is frustrating. I do have alot of worries and frustrations at the moment but like I said before I've had these for many years. Also although I do have a fairly large tea/coffee intake every day, I haven't changed this intake so it can't be my diet. No other symptoms really. Urination patterns more or less normal, no tiredness, hunger, thirst etc. 

So why am I sleeping well for weeks and then suddenly not sleeping well again with the middle of the night insomnia returning?


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## Andy1001 (Jun 29, 2016)

worriedwithfear said:


> I thought I'd update this thread.
> So since I last posted, from around the end of March my sleep improved. I was sleeping through more nights than not and this waking up in the middle of the night seemed to end. I didn't really change my diet or anything, if anything I have and am still trying to decrease my overall sugar intake. So that's almost two months of much better sleep patterns, at least they were less erratic.
> 
> But now for the past 4/5 nights it's back! On Monday I woke up at 2am, the next night again at 230am, last night at 215am and so on after just an hour or two of sleep. And it's that wide awake feeling where I cannot get back to sleep. Eventually I do get back to sleep around 5am and manage to sleep for a few hours so thankfully I'm not too sleep deprived and still feel largely well rested.
> ...


Cut down on your caffeine intake for a start especially in the evening.Use decaffinated coffee if necessary,also some teas have high amounts of caffeine in them so watch your intake of them.
Do you exercise at all,could you go for a walk maybe before you go to bed.
If you are not tired then it’s not insomnia as such,if you were an insomniac you would be tired all day.
Why not do as I suggested and get up if you can’t sleep and do something productive.


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## Trident (May 23, 2018)

Read up on insomnia tips. Some work for one person, others work for different people.

Don't use your bed for anything except sleeping, that's one that has worked for me when I've had sleep issues in the past.

Someone said avoid caffeine, that's a big one. Remember coffee isn't the only thing that has it.


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## Mommame2 (Oct 8, 2017)

Quick question, because I could get into your other major issues - anxiety and obsession. But I need to get to sleep, LOL!

Have you tried melatonin? I wasn't a believer until I became a night shifter.

Might be worth a shot.


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## worriedwithfear (Sep 3, 2017)

People are always so quick to mention the caffeine connection as the most likely cause of waking up in the middle of the night. 

As I've mentioned I don't think it has anything to do with it, as these last past 2 months or so (until this week) I've been sleeping fine whilst having my normal tea/coffee intake for the day. I HAVE NOT CHANGED MY LIQUID INTAKE. So it does make sense why this middle of the night insomnia should start again this week? Infact, last night for example, I didn't have any coffee and cut down on my tea intake and didn't drink anything before bed, only some almonds (no carbs) and I'm up and wide awake, only 2 hours after I had gone to sleep. I guess the moment I wake up I'm so frustrated and anxious because I've woken up again at this time and can't get back to sleep.


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## Trident (May 23, 2018)

worriedwithfear said:


> People are always so quick to mention the caffeine connection as the most likely cause of waking up in the middle of the night.


People are quick to suggest the caffeine link because it's among the most likely.

Something has changed which is keeping you up at night. You could be more sensitive to the caffeine due to physiological changes in your body, the caffeine content could have changed in the coffee you're drinking, or your sleeplessness is related to something else however it's quite possible that whatever that "something else" is, would not be enough to keep you awake if you cut down your caffeine intake.

What's the harm in trying for a week and see if it makes a difference?


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## personofinterest (Apr 6, 2018)

You may have mentioned this in other places, but are you diabetic? If not, then I don't think waking up would be your sugar crashing. However, if you have type I diabetes, your body WILL often wake you up when your sugar is low (either that or the sweating through the sheets will). It's nature's way of keeping you from going into a coma lol

It seems as though it is linked to your anxiety from your posts. I used to obsess at night, and now I put the things on my mind "to bed" before I go to bed. Sometimes it is just a conscious decision to stop thinking about X after, say, 8:00 pm. Sometimes I write down a list or a set of potential actions I can take AFTER I sleep that night and then consider it "put to bed." It sounds silly, but it helps.


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## worriedwithfear (Sep 3, 2017)

> You may have mentioned this in other places, but are you diabetic? If not, then I don't think waking up would be your sugar crashing. However, if you have type I diabetes, your body WILL often wake you up when your sugar is low (either that or the sweating through the sheets will). It's nature's way of keeping you from going into a coma lol


I'm not as far as I know and I think this is what's known as hypoglycemia and you usually wake up very hungry as a result of the low blood sugar. 



> It seems as though it is linked to your anxiety from your posts. I used to obsess at night, and now I put the things on my mind "to bed" before I go to bed. Sometimes it is just a conscious decision to stop thinking about X after, say, 8:00 pm. Sometimes I write down a list or a set of potential actions I can take AFTER I sleep that night and then consider it "put to bed." It sounds silly, but it helps.


Easier said than done. I have no idea what or why this is happening. Last 8 nights now I wake up between 2 and 3am after just a couple of hours of sleep. This is immensely frustrating and I notice the first emotion/feeling I have is one of slight panic as I check the time to figure "oh not again." It's now more than an hour since I've been up, trying my best to go back to sleep and it's just not working. 




> Something has changed which is keeping you up at night. You could be more sensitive to the caffeine due to physiological changes in your body, the caffeine content could have changed in the coffee you're drinking, or your sleeplessness is related to something else however it's quite possible that whatever that "something else" is, would not be enough to keep you awake if you cut down your caffeine intake.


I guess why I'm sceptical about the caffeine link is because when I was sleeping fine just a few weeks ago, I was having my usual coffee/tea intake during the day and even a cup of tea before bed and having no issues. Now I've even cut out the green tea and just having red bush and peppermint tea (which has no caffeine) and still waking up after a couple of hours.

Also if it was stress related, I'm confused too as to why this would be happening now when I've had the same anxieties and worries for many years and never had an issue with my sleep until these past 6-7 months.

I've got a sleep app and I've just been listening to my sleep sounds. There's quite a bit of snoring there so it indicates that I'm sleeping deeply during the 2 hours of sleep that I am getting but then something is obviously waking up for me to be wide awake and not be able to go back to sleep for a long time.


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## MattMatt (May 19, 2012)

Have yourself checked out by your doctor for diabetes/prediabetes.

Also, do you have bruxism? (Tooth grinding.) This can wake you up.

You snore. Is it possible that your snoring is waking you up?

My grandfather would snore very loudly, wake himself up with his snoring and then accuse other people of waking him up, because he didn't snore! :grin2:


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## SunCMars (Feb 29, 2016)

No stimulants and alcohol for thirty days after noon.

Do you workout, do aerobics?
If you do, limit this activity to mornings. 

Also, if you are a coach potato, do little exercise, your body need less sleep.
Having a sedentary job, then coming home and doing little to nothing strenuous does not tire you out 'sufficiently'.


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## SunCMars (Feb 29, 2016)

Your irregular sleep pattern could be related to your period.

Hormones play an important roles in our bodies.

It could be related to your Hypothalamus output. It regulates sleep.
So does one's Pineal gland.

The thyroid gland controls energy levels. Have it looked at. 

The various hormonal blood levels can be checked by your doctor. 
Have a complete blood panel workup done.


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## worriedwithfear (Sep 3, 2017)

Non diabetic as far as I know plus from what I understand having high blood sugar would usually not keep you up at night.
Don't think this is snoring related as I'm not a prolific snorer! 

Also not female, so no period or menstrual issues. 

It's odd because even though I haven't been getting enough sleep these past 8 days I still don't feel tired at any point


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