Does Diabetes Make You Tired?

Does diabetes make you tired? Diabetes causes a myriad of issues in the body, many of which can effect sleep. So yes, diabetes definitely can make you tired.

Diabetes Mellitus, simply put as diabetes is a compound metabolic diseases wherein a person’s blood sugar rises as his/her body’s blood sugar levels shoot up and causes a metabolic imbalance.

This can cause a variety of health issues in the body (eg. Poor circulation, fatigue, jitters) and requires medications – all of which contain potential side effects.

So does diabetes make you tired? Yes. Does fatigue means diabetes? No.

There are many reasons for fatigue include general lack of energy, loss of blood and oxygen to the brain, etc.

How Exactly Does Diabetes Make You Tired

Does Diabetes Make You Tired?Let’s find out how exactly diabetes causes fatigue, which type causes more fatigue and how to avoid such a crippling state.

Diabetes is a disease directly affecting the blood sugar levels in the body. As we all know our body requires energy to function. This energy is generated by supplying our cells in the body with glucose and oxygen.

In our cells a power house called ATP takes in this glucose and oxygen and does the conversion. Now the cells are like real donkeys which take their sweet time in absorbing glucose and supplying them to our ATPs.

So we need the shepherd to kick these donkeys and make them work faster. And our dear friend called Mr. Insulin plays this role. So this insulin acts as a catalyst making sure our ATPs get enough glucose and our body, enough energy.

Without insulin? Slower energy production, more fatigue. And lesser insulin means high blood sugar which in effect is diabetes. So fatigue is one of the major symptoms of diabetes.

However as we said earlier, fatigue is caused due to a number of reasons, though frequent fatigue in effect means you are diabetic.

Other Causes of Diabetic Fatigue

Anemia – Low iron levels are a major cause of fatigue. It can be solved through eating more foods high in iron or taking an iron supplement.

Low Thyroid – People with diabetes are much more likely to have issues with their thyroid. This can lead to hyperthyroidism or other thyroid defects which can cause fatigue and tiredness.

Low Testosterone – It is common for men with diabetes to have low testosterone levels. This can cause you to feel tired and sleepy.

Infections – People with diabetes are more susceptible to bodily infections. Infections take energy to fight and may be painful or may have symptoms such as fevers of cold sweats at night. Infections can interrupt your sleep further exaggerating your fatigue.

Undiagnosed Heart Disease – Over time diabetes can have effects on your heart. If you find you are getting tired after completing what used to be simple tasks then it might be time for a heart check up with your doctor.

Medication Side Effects – Medication is great for regulating your diabetes and avoid many of the common issues for diabetics. They improve your quality of life dramatically, however sometimes a side effect can be drowsiness or fatigue.

Lack of Sleep – If your diabetes is effecting your sleep then that will cause you to feel tired. Often people with diabetes have trouble sleeping in and find themselves waking up tired even after a good night’s sleep.

Depression – Depression is common for people with diabetes. This causes you to feel down and tired all day long.

Ageing – As you age with diabetes it begins to take it’s toll on your body. Unfortunately most people with diabetes do not age as gracefully as individuals without the disease. This can lead to many health issues, one of those being tiredness.

Which Type Of Diabetes Causes The Most Fatigue?

So which type of diabetes causes most fatigue? There are two major types of diabetes Type 1 and Type 2.

In Type 1 or ‘Juvenile Diabetes’ (Name given because it’s usually diagnosed in children) insulin production is damaged. This diabetes usually causes unstable sugar levels which in turn makes you feel fatigued an energetic at odd times.

Type 2 diabetes is the more severe form of diabetes wherein your cells become partially resistant to insulin’s catalytic properties and to add salt to the wound this diabetes is generally accompanied by partial insulin production loss. This usually causes general fatigue in your body and is a slower, long term damage.

Which diabetes causes more fatigue? Totally subjective according to time. In the short run Type 1 is the major convict for your fatigue however in the long run it’s the type 2 which affects the most.

How To Boost Your Energy And Beat Tiredness Despite Diabetes

Diet – Diet is extremely important for those with diabetes. Consuming extremely sugary substances (eg. Chocolate, Energy Drinks, Icecream, McDonalds etc) can causes spikes in your blood sugar levels and leads to more fatigue. Keep a healthy diet with lots of non-processed foods.

Exercise – Exercise can help boost your energy levels and maintains a healthy motabolism which can in turn help keep your diabetes under better control. Being out of shape will lead to more fatigue in all people, but especially those with diabetes.

Monitoring Blood Sugar Levels – While tiredness and fatigue can affect anyone with diabetes it is especially prevalent in those with uncontrolled blood sugar levels. Ensure you are consistently monitoring your blood sugar levels and keeping them within a healthy range.

If you don’t already have one you should definitely invest in a blood sugar level monitor.

For more tips on combatting fatigue and boosting your energy try reading these 30 tips.

So does diabetes make you tired? All of the evidence suggests that the answer to this question is yes. Those with diabetes are more likely to experience fatigue than those without the disease and there are many actually causes of this fatigue. But not all hope is lost, there are many things you can do as a diabetic to combat fatigue and live a life full of energy.