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Sometimes i just can't wake up

T

thorbrand

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi people, i'm new on the forum and was diagnosed with type 2 a couple of years ago.

Mostly day to day i don't feel like diabetes affects me, so long as i am up and about and at work. However my problems always seem to revolve around sleep, getting to sleep and then waking up.

My diet is fairly healthy in the morning, i have muesli (no added sugar) and a piece of fruit, usually a banana or an apple and if i have time a hot chocolate with coffee, then for lunch i normally have a brown roll with fresh chicken, salad and low fat mayo, a pack of crisps, an apple and a sugary drink, but that's the only time of day i have a fizzy drink.

My problem is in the evening, when i get home i always find myself binging on chocolate or biscuits . (no pack of hobnobs is safe in my house!) and that's after dinner, really i know that dinner should be the smallest and most nutrient rich meal, but i seem to have a craving to load up on carbs and/or sugar around the evening time which is starting to really affect my sleep pattern.

Last night i had a whole pack of hobnobs, a bar of dark chocolate and a tin of custard, now that's not every day because i would be the size of a house if i ate like that all the time but it's still too often.

Today i didn't wake up in time for work, in fact i couldn't get to sleep until about 5 am and i slept for 13 hours with periods of slight wakefulness and the following thought 'i should really get up' but my body just didn't want to move.

Last week i had a similar experience but i ended up with a migraine for most of the day.

Is it possible that i could have induced a semi coma like state? if so then that is scary because i know diabetic comas are medical emergencies.

I've managed to change my career from being in a sedentary office based role to one in a warehouse where i am very active and now i cycle to and from work so my fitness has improved a lot but i think this binge problem is going to have serious consequences not only for my health but for my work too if for example i simply can't get out of bed. Has anyone had similar experiences and found a way to overcome their bingeing on bad foods.
 
Someone will give you the intro diet advice soon, there's a lot of room for improvement from what you've posted. Are you testing your blood sugar? My OH who is type 1 has this problem when his sugars are running very high, it sounds to me like you're suffering very high blood sugars and it's causing the struggle to get up in the morning
 
I m newly diagnosed so i dont profess to be an expert but from what i understand (so far) starting your day with muesli and also a banana with run havoc with your blood sugars for the whole day
 
Hi,

Are you on any diabetes meds??

To be honest? Even before you get to the "Hobknobs". The "healthy" eating plan won't be doing your BS levels any favours either...


Nearly forgot. @daisy1 has the basics..
 
welcome @thorbrand
Clearly you acknowledge that eating the whole pack of hob-nobs isn't the best dietary plan :D
Most folk in this corner of the web tend to follow low carb diet, using fat to satiate.
You state that you eat a healthy diet in the mornings, trouble is everyone has their own idea of healthy. Without getting into the debate about the 'eatwell' plate promoted by health care professionals, it clearly isn't the best diet for diabetics. In the mornings you eat either a banana or apple, both are from natures sweet shop, and high in sugar. The muesli has plenty of carb s without any sugar. Your brown roll will be high in carbs as will the crisps. The mayo will have sugar in to keep the taste up. Honestly an ordinary mayo is better (IMHO)
The chocolate Bar? I bet the biggest single ingredient is sugar, unless you are eating something like a Lindt 85% cocao bar.

I have no idea if you induced a coma like state. But you sure see carb cravings ( rightly) as a problem

It might be worth substituting the crisps for nuts, muesli for egg and bacon. How about ditching the roll and increasing the leaves of the salad?
I know when I first cut the cards 4 hours became too much sleep for me
 
azure said:
Hi @thorbrand Are you on any meds? Do you test your blood sugar?
Click to expand...

I'm not on any medication, and currently i don't test. my last check up with the GP showed my blood sugar levels were within the normal range but i must confess that was over 4 months ago. I also have slight signs of retinopathy but my vision is OK at the moment
 
thorbrand said:
I'm not on any medication, and currently i don't test. my last check up with the GP showed my blood sugar levels were within the normal range but i must confess that was over 4 months ago. I also have slight signs of retinopathy but my vision is OK at the moment
Click to expand...

Ok. Let me tag @daisy1 for you as she has some information she posts for new members :)

Many Type 2s here test their blood sugar to see how they react to various foods.

Without knowing what your blood sugar was when you had the long sleep, it's hard to say if it's diabetes related, but after your binge it could be high sugars (or anything else eg stress, digestion issues, etc)

You ask about how not to go for the Hobnobs. My tip is simply not to buy them. I know from experience how they call out from the cupboard : D Seriously, if it's not in the house you can't eat it.
 
walnut_face said:
welcome @thorbrand
It might be worth substituting the crisps for nuts, muesli for egg and bacon. How about ditching the roll and increasing the leaves of the salad?
I know when I first cut the cards 4 hours became too much sleep for me
Click to expand...

When you put it like that it does look like my diet is very carb rich, i always thought muesli was a very healthy option, i wonder if porridge may be a better substitute? I'm definitely not a fan of eggs but i can certainly live with bacon! although that has its downsides too i understand.

I wonder if maybe like you said ditching the crisps, the mayo, and the roll and instead, opting for a big salad with protein ie: chicken with maybe a very light dressing would be a better alternative. My work is quite intensive and i walk easily 15 miles a day and cycle 3 miles. So i need to find a diet that keeps me full, give me the necessary energy to get through the day but at the same time doesn't play havoc with by blood sugar.
 
thorbrand said:
When you put it like that it does look like my diet is very carb rich, i always thought muesli was a very healthy option, i wonder if porridge may be a better substitute? I'm definitely not a fan of eggs but i can certainly live with bacon! although that has its downsides too i understand.

I wonder if maybe like you said ditching the crisps, the mayo, and the roll and instead, opting for a big salad with protein ie: chicken with maybe a very light dressing would be a better alternative. My work is quite intensive and i walk easily 15 miles a day and cycle 3 miles. So i need to find a diet that keeps me full, give me the necessary energy to get through the day but at the same time doesn't play havoc with by blood sugar.
Click to expand...
If you can keep your BG within normal range on a high carb diet you have nothing to worry about.

You could try to lower the carb content and eat more fat though. Very few T2 diabetics can tolerate large amounts of starch but fat is filling and nutritious, preferably good quality stable fats like butter, lard, duck fat and coconut oil. Olive oil is good too.
 
What i need is easy and quick meal ideas for breakfast and lunch, i tend to opt for convenience mainly at the expense of nutrition. I've had a look at the meal ideas on this site and whilst they all look extremely tasty, they require lots of ingredients and time to prepare and cook. I need stuff i can knock up in the morning that takes less than 10 minutes and lunches that i can just take out of my bag and eat, since i only get one 30 minute break in the day for lunch, cooking lamb shashlik kebabs isn't really an option! i think we need a 10 minutes or less cook book, or even a cook book that doesn't require one to use an oven or a grill, like a diabetics work survival cook book
 
In the end you will have to decide whether to bother about cooking or getting diabetes complications. To begin with you could try and tweak your diet, if it can be called a diet, into something vaguely resembling something fit to eat for somebody intolerant to carbs.
 
Hi thorbrand and welcome to the forum :)

I'm intriguied with you saying your GP says your blood test is OK. Have you always eaten the diet you have described above? If so, I wonder on what basis you have been diagnosed, to be honest. Do you have excess weight to loose?

Before you change your diet too radically, I would suggest getting a blood glucose meter (SDCodeFree is reasonable price but has the cheapest test strips - which are the ongoing costs to consider). Then, test immediately before each meal, 1 hour from your first bite of your meal, and again 2 hours after you started your meal. The results of these readings will give you a lot of information regarding how you are tolerating what you are eating. I think that would be a good starting point.

In the post that Daisy1 will soon post, you will see what the different readings at different times represent. Please do come back here and post your readings from meals for maybe a couple of days, along with what you have eaten. Others will then be in a position to help you understand the figures and advise on ways to help you.

As you probably know already, it is important to try to limit spikes after meals due to the carbs/sugars as it is the spikes that can cause long-term damage and complications.

Hopeyou can post your readings very soon. :)
 
Energize said:
Hi thorbrand and welcome to the forum :)

I'm intriguied with you saying your GP says your blood test is OK. Have you always eaten the diet you have described above? If so, I wonder on what basis you have been diagnosed, to be honest. Do you have excess weight to loose?

Hopeyou can post your readings very soon. :)
Click to expand...

Hi energize, yes i do have a bit of excess weight in the region of around 2 stone (belly fat), however since starting my recent job i have lost almost a stone just due to increased physical activity, which is good. However my diet isn't exactly diabetic friendly. I think i was running on the false presumption that because i am doing a lot of physical activity i can 'get away with it' but my recent episodes of restlessness and difficulty waking up has proven otherwise.

I've always struggled with my weight since i was little due to my sweet tooth and opting for pre packed supermarket rubbish, things are improving slightly on that front though as i cook with a lot more veg than i used to. I think you're right, i really need to start testing myself despite what my GP says, i wonder if when i had my blood test 4 months ago it just happened to be a 'good day'
 
Thorbrand
Yes, I can understand the difficulties in preparing food. However, it is possible. I live on my own and, although I like cooking, I hate spending all that time and effort just for one. I often invite friends round for a meal just so I can cook for some others - Much better ;)

As has been mentioned in above posts, high glucose levels can make you feel rotten and very tired, although I've not heard of such a situation as you describe above. Certainly I'd want to be testing, especially in such situations.

Over the past year, I have reduced, and more recently, virtually cut out all major starchy/sugary foods, even though I have a very sweet tooth. So, now I would say I was LCHF, rather that 'low'ish carb'. Strangely, I now love a salad every day, with all I can think osf chucked in, including chopped mint leaves! I use olive oil, vinegar and Italian herbs for dressing, as the Olive Oil is OK. Over the past year, I've lost approx 2.5 stone - but still have more to go.

Not everyone is keen, or agrees, on the idea of LCHF and prefer to count calories etc. Basically, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cakes and pastries are all high in carbs and calories so best reduced, at least. Then test to check the effect. As already mentioned, the 'EatWellPlate' has a large portion of carbohydrate/starchy foods which many/most diabetics can't understand, nor accept, as the way to go.

Certainly, disregard being told that Type 2's don't need to test. It's your body and your decision as to how to manage it.
 
welcome thorbrand :)

I think you eat way too many carbs ... you should try the low carb higher fat diet ... maybe that´ll help you stop being that tired it did help me a lot...I feel 10 years younger now just in 4 months... maybe you should learn to binge in nuts instead
@daisy
 
Quick breakfasts are simple, scrambled eggs with butter and cream, bacon. For a quick lunch I like a 'cheesewich' which is 2 slices of edam cheese, buttered and ham in the middle :) fathead pizza is awesome cold the next day too! It's just about a new routine, you'll soon find meals that work for you.

Definitely get a blood glucose monitor
 
@thorbrand

Hello and welcome to the forum :) Here is the information, mentioned above, which we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 210,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
thorbrand said:
What i need is easy and quick meal ideas for breakfast and lunch, i tend to opt for convenience mainly at the expense of nutrition. I've had a look at the meal ideas on this site and whilst they all look extremely tasty, they require lots of ingredients and time to prepare and cook. I need stuff i can knock up in the morning that takes less than 10 minutes and lunches that i can just take out of my bag and eat, since i only get one 30 minute break in the day for lunch, cooking lamb shashlik kebabs isn't really an option! i think we need a 10 minutes or less cook book, or even a cook book that doesn't require one to use an oven or a grill, like a diabetics work survival cook book
Click to expand...

Hi
I agree with the other comments. It sounds to me as if you have carb overload, which can prevent you from sleeping because of the sugar rush from the chocolate bars/biscuits etc. Carbs are addictive which is why you crave them in the evening, after having them at breakfast and lunchtime

For healthier low carb alternatives for breakfast why not try low carb bircher? I've been living on this through the summer (trying to emulate the Starbucks breakfast bircher!) I mix up enough dry ingredients to last the week and store in large container, and add the almond milk to a single serving the night before, then top with a few berries before eating, or a quarter of a grated apple with a sprinkling of freshly ground cinnamon. Its full of superfoods , is very filling as it bulks up when the liquid is added and travels well in a tupperware container, even with the milk added

Low Carb Bircher recipe:
https://diabetesmealplans.com/recipe/low-carb-bircher-muesli/

For lunch - how about a flask of chunky soup to take you through the winter?

For your evening meal, why not use a slow cooker which you can set before you leave for work and your hot meal will be ready and waiting for you when you get in - so no need to reach for the hobnobs! Throw lots of lovely vegetables into the pot with chops, mince, braising steak, or a whole chicken. There's a lot of hype at the moment about the 6.5 litre slow cookers on offer at Aldi for just £17. http://www.which.co.uk/news/2016/10/is-cheap-6-5-litre-aldi-slow-cooker-an-autumn-bargain-454424/ Smaller ones are available if you are cooking for one

Good luck!
 
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