Tiredness In Diabetics

[Sean-W]

Is anyone medically astute enough or a walking anatomist of the human body to know why Diabetics are constantly tired? I myself have days and weeks of feeling absolutely shattered I can easily sleep 8-9 hours a night but within 4-5 hours of getting up I want to go back to bed!

I've had all the usual tests for Anaemia, Under Active Thyroid and Sleep Apnoea done and were fine.


I don't just relate to this personally but after entering my local diabetic group earlier today. It felt more like I was on the set of The Walking Dead! Everyone was yawning and walking around half dead! etc. It seems to be a silent problem amongst/within the condition.

 

[SWUSA_]

No I do not think it is silent, many have said that they feel tired. Tiredness is a symptom of diabetes-usually when your blood sugar is too high, because the sugar in your blood is unable to get into other cells in your body to power them because you do not have enough insulin or you are resistant to insulin. Tiredness can also come from eating and processing too few carbohydrates to power your body and mind. Hope this helps

So to feel better-exercise to reduce insulin resistance, eat enough carbs in a regular pattern to power your body and mind (but not so many at one time that your blood sugar spikes beyond 8.5 at two hours after your meal.) And also mood can contribute to tiredness-laugh and have fun too!

 

[Robbity]

Too many carbs was probably the main cause of my extreme tiredness - I was reduced to a more or less zombie like state for a number of years before I was diagnosed (type 2). And they can still occasionally knock me out if I eat a meal slightly too high in carbs. I do far better and am much more alert and "with it" on a very low carb higher fat diet. Switching to that to manage glucose levels (and weight) was a bonus "miracle" sleepiness cure for me. We don't actually need any carbs at all when we eat enough fattier and oilier foods to sustain us instead - and I think if you read some of the low carb testimonials & success stories you'll find that LCHF has solved the tiredness problem for many of us!

Robbity

 

[Geordie_P]

Diabetes can definitely make you tired; I was always tired *before* diagnosis, but now I've changed my diet I have a lot more energy. I think it's a case of getting the balance right: if, as SWUSA says above, your bg is too high or you aren't putting enough fuel in your body, then that might be the cause of the tiredness-however, if you can hit the right balance you'll feel a lot better.

For me, my bg was way too high and I got tired easily; now I've got it down to 'normal' levels (4.1 fasting, 4.9 after meals), I feel more energetic than I have for years. Obviously your situation may be different to mine, and I might simply feel better because I've lost loads of weight, not because of bg per se, but I guess it's all interrelated. Do you get enough fat in your diet? That might be another thing: I used to get weak and dopey in the morning because my bg was 3.3 - 3.9, but now I have one boiled egg or some sunflower seeds during the day and that helped.
Anyway, your experience might be different, but the tips that helped me are bg at 'normal' levels, seeds or tree-nuts for a snack, and tea with no milk or sugar throughout the day.

EDIT: in the time it took me to write this, Robbity basically said what I wanted to say in a much shorter and better way: still, I'll leave this as a kind of testimonial to agree with Robbity above!

 

[Sean-W]

No I do not think it is silent, many have said that they feel tired. Tiredness is a symptom of diabetes-usually when your blood sugar is too high, because the sugar in your blood is unable to get into other cells in your body to power them because you do not have enough insulin or you are resistant to insulin. Tiredness can also come from eating and processing too few carbohydrates to power your body and mind. Hope this helps

So to feel better-exercise to reduce insulin resistance, eat enough carbs in a regular pattern to power your body and mind (but not so many at one time that your blood sugar spikes beyond 8.5 at two hours after your meal.) And also mood can contribute to tiredness-laugh and have fun too!

Sorry I should of made my point a little clearer, When I say silent I refer to those who don't understand that it may be something linked to or as a result of their diabetes. Some might just consider it to be general tiredness overall. Never stopping and thinking it as you said could be high BS etc.

 

[Sean-W]

Too many carbs was probably the main cause of my extreme tiredness - I was reduced to a more or less zombie like state for a number of years before I was diagnosed (type 2). And they can still occasionally knock me out if I eat a meal slightly too high in carbs. I do far better and am much more alert and "with it" on a very low carb higher fat diet. Switching to that to manage glucose levels (and weight) was a bonus "miracle" sleepiness cure for me. We don't actually need any carbs at all when we eat enough fattier and oilier foods to sustain us instead - and I think if you read some of the low carb testimonials & success stories you'll find that LCHF has solved the tiredness problem for many of us!

Robbity

Yeah that was me at one time. When it came to potatoes and bread. They were the bible pre and post condition for a while until I wised up and finally asked this fine group!

 

[Pinkorchid]

I am 77 don't sleep well on many nights but rarely feel tired during the day and I seem to have more energy than a lot of youngsters do these days they are the ones who are always saying they are tired. I am always doing something that keeps me busy housework shopping getting the meals and walking the dog and when I am not doing that I like to do some sewing so no time to feel tired

 

[Sean-W]

I am 77 don't sleep well on many nights but rarely feel tired during the day and I seem to have more energy than a lot of youngsters do these days they are the ones who are always saying they are tired. I am always doing something that keeps me busy housework shopping getting the meals and walking the dog and when I am not doing that I like to do some sewing so no time to feel tired

Do you leave any time for sleep in your schedule!! I'm surprised you have time to blink you appear that busy.

 

[Pinkorchid]

Do you leave any time for sleep in your schedule!! I'm surprised you have time to blink you appear that busy.

I am not saying everyone should be able to do as I do as many have problems that restrict them. I know I am very lucky that I have no other illnesses or mobility problems and I can still be active. Yes obviously I go to bed but often only get about 4 hours sleep I have not slept well for years long before diabetes. I believe that keeping active is good for my body and brain. Life is short for me now so I want to keep active and hopefully will be able to go on doing that for as long as possible

 

[Maggie/Magpie]

Hi there,
I have days when I can sleep 20 out of 24 hours, I've always put it down to my depression. But after having basically what is a three month binge on carb's and sugar (partly due to med's) it would make sense if some of it was high BS's or maybe a mixture of the two. Ever since my diagnosis was change from pre-diabetic to diabetic type 2 and the metformin was increased and put to modified release and I took it seriously, reduced my carbs and stopped sugar, I feel a lot less tired and more alert. Dose the changes have anything to do with it I think so, but I'm no expert, it could all be coincidence!
Maggie

 

[Sean-W]

I am not saying everyone should be able to do as I do as many have problems that restrict them. I know I am very lucky that I have no other illnesses or mobility problems and I can still be active. Yes obviously I go to bed but often only get about 4 hours sleep I have not slept well for years long before diabetes. I believe that keeping active is good for my body and brain. Life is short for me now so I want to keep active and hopefully will be able to go on doing that for as long as possible

Your 77 years young! Enjoy each and every day. As long as you and your family are happy and healthy that's all that matters.

 

[Brunneria]

For me, it mainly seems to depend on carb control.

I had a couple of years of worrying brain fog before I realised what was going on and got a meter. Bgs weren't high. My hba1c was 'only' 45, but it was enough to make me permanently tired, physically sluggish and worrying about early onset Alzheimer's. it was a bad time.

Since then I have learned to supplement with magnesium, potassium and table salt, corrected a vit D and vit K2 deficiency, reduced carbs and hba1c to 'normal', and walk the dog.

Masses more energy, and my brain works again, though my memories of the sluggish period are vague and unreliable.

The one thing I don't have - and have NEVER had, is any desire to bounce about in the evenings. Pubs, clubs, evenings with friends... By 5pm all I want to do is go home, shut the door and relax. My stamina is done by then. Been like that all my life. But then my hormones have been wracked all my life too, so it is probably them, not the D.

I just do everything in the mornings and afternoons, including social activities and things like shopping, trips out, travel (if possible) then bunker down in the evenings.

 

[Japes]

My extreme tiredness pre-diagnosis I was determinedly putting down to end of academic year exhaustion and packing up to move house and using that as an excuse to eat more sugary stuff to give me energy along with evening and afternoon naps, because I needed the sleep.....

Well, I know better now. Certainly I've more or less cured that with minimal carbs and no sugar. When I'm tired and need a nap or early night these days, it's because I've worked more hours than usual or walked for more than 20 miles. Or because I had chips for no reason other than they were there.