Quick Tips: Diabetes And Shift Work

Diabetes has become a household name now. Majority of people suffer from this disease. But there are some ways to manage it. It all depends on a healthy routine of medicine, eating, exercise and sleep. But when you work night shifts or have changing work shifts, it can seem like there's nothing  at all routine about your life. In such a condition, it is more of a challenge to manage diabetes. But, it can be done. Here are some tips which will help you to have a control on your blood sugar level even if you are working in shifts.

Get organized

• Talk to your doctor, diabetes nutritionist, or diabetes educator. He or she will help you make a plan for dealing with your shift work.
• Have a backpack, briefcase, or large purse that always contains your at-work essentials like, a blood sugar meter, planned snacks, emergency snacks, medicines, a water bottle, lunch, an ice pack.
• Tell your employer that you have diabetes. Show him or her your plan. Ask for regular breaks, a place to store and take your insulin or other medicine, and a place to rest when you need it.

Manage your blood sugar

• Test your blood sugar every couple of hours. Working in night shifts or constantly changing shifts can affect your blood sugar in ways that may surprise you.
• Keep a detailed report of your blood sugar readings, medicine doses, exercise and sleep. This will help you and your doctor see patterns and make plans to deal with them.
• Consider updating your blood sugar meter. The record keeps track of carbohydrate averages per meal.
• If you take insulin, consider using an insulin pump.

Plan your meals

• Try planning a week's worth of your at-work lunches at a time, so that you avoid the snack machine or the nearby fast food restaurant.
• Are you often too tired to make dinner after work? Keep a supply of healthy, ready-to-eat snacks, such as, hard boiled eggs, fruit, cheese sticks, beef or turkey jerky, single servings of low sugar, nonfat yogurt or cottage cheese, or  a sugar-free gelatin dessert.
• Some jobs make it hard to take a snack break. Keep something in your pocket, like a small bag of dried fruit or unsalted nuts or a low-carbohydrate cereal bar.

Keep up your exercise

• Your regular exercise routine at home may be hampered if you work at nights or your shift keeps changing. Find a way to make it a part of your routine. Set some goals. Take the time to think about what is getting in the way of your success and what you can do to get around those barriers.
• At work, take a walk during breaks. If your's is a desk work, do some stretching in front of your computer.
• Use your commute to do some extra walking. Park several blocks away, or get off the bus a few stops early.

Get enough sleep

• Avoid caffeine drinks 4 to 6 hours before bedtime.
• Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime. But a light snack may help you sleep. Ask your doctor if you should snack before sleep.
• Be aware of a problem called shift work sleep disorder. If you have trouble sleeping because of your work shift, talk to your doctor.
• Measure your blood sugar before you go to sleep. This is especially important if your sleep time changes.