Sleep disorders are disruptive and can affect quality of life. While our sleep can be affected by genetics, a large part of it could be due to lifestyle factors such as lack of exercises, smoking, or alcohol use as well. Insomnia is a common problem. It affects one third of the population. it’s more prevalent in women than in men, and it’s more common in older adults due to degenerative changes and/or weight gain. Insomnia can also be a problem for children and teenagers.
Insomnia affects people differently. Some might have difficulty falling asleep, others could experience frequent waking at night or waking up too early in the morning.
Insomnia could be transient or chronic, and internal medicine doctors can be consulted to identify underlying root issues to treat the condition.
I recently saw a patient who came to get treated for her insomnia. She had been suffering from insomnia for a while now and has been relying on sleeping pills to help her sleep.
In spite of the medication, she struggled to sleep more than four hours at a go, giving her unrefreshing rest which affects her overall quality of life.
My thorough assessment of her condition pointed to low blood sugar. To confirm this, I put her on continuous blood sugar monitoring; her sugar level was continuously monitored via a device we stuck onto her arm.
True enough, results came back affirming the initial assessment.
Why does low blood sugar affect our sleep?
When our bodies are low on sugar, especially at night, it causes a condition known as nocturnal hypoglycemia. It is a common cause of insomnia. In response to the low blood sugar, our bodies will release hormones to help regulate glucose levels. These hormones are stimulants for the brain as well and trigger the signal to forage for food. When that happens, our bodies go into an overdrive, and if that happens at night, it would wake us up from our sleep.
Hence, for this patient, what we did to help improve her condition was not putting her on more medication. Instead, all she had to do to sleep better through the night was to consume some berries before bed!
Why berries?
Berries contain natural compounds that can help regulate sleep cycles, making them a healthy and delicious addition to your diet. For example, blueberries contain high levels of antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have been shown to improve sleep quality. Raspberries and blackberries are also rich in sleep-regulating compounds like melatonin and serotonin.
What to do if you suffer from insomnia?
If you suffer from poor sleep quality, see an Internist (Specialist for Internal medicine). An Internist will be able to thoroughly assess you for underlying medical conditions, and potentially be able to treat the root cause of the insomnia.
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About Dr Adrian Mondry
Dr Adrian Mondry is a Hypertension Specialist accredited by the German Hypertension League in Singapore. He was previously a senior consultant in the department of medicine at the National University Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH), Dr Mondry has more than 30 years of experience in the field of internal medicine.
Dr Adrian Mondry is recognised for his leadership and contributions in establishing the dedicated hypertension clinic within the National University Health System and fast-track deep vein thrombosis service at NTFGH.
Dr Adrian Mondry is fluent in English, German and French.
About Kaizen Medical
Kaizen Medical is located at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, Suite 11-57.
At Kaizen, we provide in depth health care to patients with multi-organs diseases; tackling undifferentiated presentations that cannot be easily assigned to a single organ.
