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Sleep and Blood Sugar: The Overlooked Connection

What every woman with insulin resistance needs to know about getting better rest—and better results

You’re watching what you eat. You’re spacing your meals. You’re even trying gentle fasting.

But your blood sugar still isn’t where you want it to be. Before you assume your body’s broken, let me ask you a different question: How are you sleeping?


Most women trying to reverse insulin resistance focus only on food or exercise—and completely overlook one of the most powerful healing tools we have: sleep.


Why Sleep Matters More Than You Think

When you don’t sleep well, your blood sugar suffers. And it’s not just about how tired you feel the next day—it’s about what’s happening hormonally behind the scenes.

Poor sleep:

  • Increases cortisol, your stress hormone

  • Disrupts melatonin, which helps regulate insulin sensitivity

  • Makes your body more resistant to insulin—even if you’re eating well


In fact, just one night of sleep deprivation can make a healthy person look temporarily insulin resistant in bloodwork.

If you’re serious about healing insulin resistance naturally, your sleep isn’t optional. It’s foundational.


What Happens to Blood Sugar When You Sleep Poorly

Your body does major metabolic cleanup while you sleep:

  • It balances hormones

  • Repairs tissues

  • Regulates appetite

  • Restores insulin sensitivity

But when you go to bed too late, get up in the night, or toss and turn until morning, your body is flooded with stress signals. That cortisol spike in the early morning? It pushes your blood sugar up—whether you ate anything or not.

You can eat perfectly and still struggle if your sleep is trash.

Signs Your Sleep Is Sabotaging Your Blood Sugar

You might not realize how much your rest is impacting your healing. Here are some common signs:

  • You wake up already tired

  • Your fasting glucose is higher than expected

  • You get cravings mid-morning or late at night

  • You feel wired before bed and struggle to fall asleep

  • Your blood sugar crashes during the night (and you wake up hungry)

Any of these can point to a deeper issue with your circadian rhythm—your body’s internal clock.


3 Simple Ways to Improve Sleep (and Blood Sugar)

The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your life to sleep better. Start with these three changes and you’ll see real results in just a few days.


1. Get Morning Sunlight (Without Sunglasses)

Exposing your eyes to natural light within 30–60 minutes of waking helps regulate melatonin and cortisol production. This tells your brain, “It’s daytime!” and resets your circadian rhythm so you feel sleepy at night, not at 2pm.

Just 10–15 minutes on the porch with your eyes on the skies can help. Bonus points if you walk or have your bare feet on the ground while you do it.

2. Cut Off Caffeine by 2 PM

Caffeine lingers in your system for up to 10 hours—so even if you fall asleep, your quality of sleep may suffer.

For most women, limiting coffee or tea to the morning only can dramatically improve deep sleep and glucose balance the next day.


3. Use a Wind-Down Routine (Without Screens)

Screens emit blue light that tells your brain to stay alert. That’s not what you want before bed.

Instead, try:

  • Reading an actual book

  • Stretching

  • Prayer, journaling, or gentle breathwork

  • Wearing blue-light-blocking glasses after sunset

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about giving your brain and body the cues they need to rest.


What You Track Will Transform

If you’re not already tracking your sleep, start now. Even just a journal noting:

  • What time you went to bed

  • How you slept

  • Your fasting glucose the next morning

…can help you spot patterns you’ve never noticed before. Many of my clients realize their worst glucose days have nothing to do with food—and everything to do with a bad night’s sleep.


You Can’t Heal What You Keep Ignoring

Insulin resistance isn’t just about what you eat. It’s about how your entire body responds to stress, rest, and rhythm.

So if you’ve been stuck, discouraged, or confused by your progress—don’t just look at your plate. Look at your pillow.


Want more step-by-step tools for reversing insulin resistance naturally? Join me inside my free Facebook group where we go deeper on real healing—without gimmicks or overwhelm.


One faithful step at a time,

—Coach MB

 
 
 

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