Take Charge of Your Health: Session 8

Diet and exercise get most of the attention – but sleep and stress are just as real in how they affect blood sugar. In this free class, Megan Ellison, RDN, CDCES of Sound Dietitians, LLC covers Chapter 10 of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide by Jill Weisenberger, plus an additional deep dive into stress management and the many other factors beyond food and exercise that influence blood glucose. This is the eighth session in the Take Charge of Your Health series, offered through Stilly Valley Health Connections – explore more in our free class recordings library.

What’s covered in this class:

• Why sleep is not optional for blood sugar control – how poor sleep raises cortisol, reduces insulin sensitivity, disrupts appetite hormones (driving cravings for salt, fat, and sugar the next day), and why research points to 7-8 hours as the sweet spot for blood sugar management and 7-9 hours for best weight control
• Sleep apnea: the overlooked blood sugar disruptor – why sleep apnea is strongly correlated with both overweight and diabetes, what the warning signs are, why untreated apnea creates a vicious cycle that makes blood sugar and weight harder to manage, and why there are more treatment options beyond CPAP if it has not worked for you
• Practical sleep hygiene strategies – morning natural light exposure to anchor your circadian rhythm, avoiding screens for an hour before bed (blue light suppresses melatonin), keeping the bedroom cool (60-67°F) and reserved for sleep, creating a consistent wind-down routine, watching caffeine timing (half-life is about 6 hours), and why late-evening snacking disrupts overnight digestion and sleep quality
• How stress directly raises blood sugar – how both physical and emotional stress trigger cortisol and adrenaline to push glucose out of the liver, what that looks like in real time on a continuous glucose monitor, when to consider working with a therapist or counselor as the third pillar alongside diet and exercise, and the signs of depression that may be quietly getting in the way of behavior change
• The 42 factors: blood sugar goes beyond food and exercise – a look at the many things that affect blood glucose outside of diet (steroid injections, illness, allergies, hormonal changes at puberty/menopause/pregnancy, smoking, medications, and insufficient sleep), and why understanding these helps take the blame off yourself when blood sugar is up despite doing everything right