As what a famous athlete once said, “motivation is what drives you to get started, but habit is what makes you keep going”. As such, coming up with a habit or a routine can help in managing your diabetes. Here are some ideas for your diabetes evening routines, which can help you with managing your condition.
Take a Blood Sugar Test Before Bedtime
As a diabetes patient, the last thing you want is to wake up to is an extremely high or low blood sugar level. In order to wake up with blood sugar level within healthy range, it would help to know what your blood sugar level is before you sleep. This will enable you to catch an out of range blood sugar level before you sleep.
Drink Plenty of Water
Make it a habit to drink several glasses of water or hot tea at least two hours before you sleep. If you are someone who has the tendency to wake up in the middle of the night to urinate, consider hydrating yourself about two hours before bedtime. This way you will avoid waking up from your sleep because of extreme thirst.
Create To-Do List for Tomorrow
If you consider yourself a night person and do not mind staying late to prepare for the next day, then you should take time to create your to-do lists for the following day. Come up with at least three important tasks that you want to accomplish the following day in terms of managing your blood sugar. The tasks can include exercise, outdoor activities, meditating, trying a herbal remedy etc.
Stretch and Massage your Feet
Consider doing some stretches before bedtime to relax your body. This makes it easier for you to fall asleep. After stretching, massage your legs with a moisturizer to simultaneously help improve blood circulation and prevent dry skin. You should also check your feet for rashes, blisters, wounds or ulcers at the same time. This simple self examination can help prevent and spot infections which can lead to amputation.
Floss and Brush
Flossing may be cumbersome for some. However, once you make it an ingrained habit, you will hardly realize that you are doing it until it is done. This is one of the most important diabetes evening routines because diabetes patients are at high risk of gum disease and other dental problems. Therefore, you should make it a habit to floss and brush daily.
Go To Bed Early
According to health experts, if you have diabetes, the amount of time that you sleep will be influence by your condition. So for those who have diabetes, not getting adequate sleep may make it harder for them to get through the following day. This makes it even more difficult for them to make good decisions which can impact their overall health condition.
