Good Bedtime Snacks for Diabetics

Managing diabetes is not an easy job to perform. But you do need some snacks to help you adapt to your diabetes. A diabetic patient needs to maintain their blood sugar checks, exercise, medication, and eating habits all day to keep their disease under control. Whether you are diabetic or not, the idea of a bedtime snack is quite common to everyone. Eating a low-fat, high-protein snack before bedtime can help diabetic patients in stabilizing their blood sugar levels while sleeping. Here are 13 Good Bedtime Snacks for Diabetics:

Why does the Blood Sugar Level Drop or Go Up at Night?

Well, this problem is most common in diabetic patients. However, there are a variety of reasons behind this problem. A few of them are listed below:

• Intake of too much insulin or medication at dinner time
• Skipping of bedtime snack
• Going too long with an empty stomach, and more

To avoid dropping sugar level in the middle of the night try to eat some good bedtime snack that is rich in protein, carbs, and a little bit of fat. Here in this article, you will get a complete guide about the best bedtime snacks for diabetes.  Let’s have a look:

13 Bedtime Snacks for Diabetic Patients

The food items that help individuals in keeping their blood sugars stable at night are ones that are rich in Fiber and Protein. It must contain low amounts of added sugar (or none) and small amounts of fat. Some of the best bedtime snacks for diabetic patients are as follows:

1) Lemon Cheesecake Bites – The no-bake lemon cheesecake bites are mouth-watering and delicious. This amazing snack is packed with fiber and protein. It is one of the best light and yummy bedtime snacks for diabetic patients.

2) Nutreat – It is a low-glycemic bedtime snack. It is loaded with prebiotic fiber and lots of flavors. Nutreat does not contain any added sugar. This amazing snack is a creamy, low glycemic, and delicious bedtime snack for diabetic patients.

3) Nuts – Walnuts, peanuts, and almonds contain plenty of minerals, healthful fats, and vitamins. Almonds are rich in vitamin E, whereas walnuts contain a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids.

A hand full of nuts is a great bedtime snack for diabetic patients to stabilize their blood sugar levels during the night.

4) Blueberry Zucchini Muffins – Nothing is more delicious than a blueberry muffin. It is one of the best bedtime snacks. One can easily make these blueberry muffins in advance of time and freeze them for a simple and quick bedtime snack during the week.

5) Boiled Eggs – Eggs are rich in protein. One large egg contains almost 6.29 grams (g) of protein. These are also rich in carbohydrates and other essential nutrients. If you have diabetes, then try eating the egg along with some whole-grain crackers before going to bed.

The whole-grain crackers contain a good amount of fiber. It helps in slowing down the digestive process. It also helps in releasing the energy from the food over a longer period. This amazing bedtime snack can help in keeping your blood sugar levels stable.

6) Cherry tomatoes, Cucumber slices, or Baby carrots – All these vegetables are a great choice for a snack. These are low in calories, carbohydrates, and fats. It offers plenty of minerals and vitamins. These vegetables also provide a good dose of fiber and antioxidants that helps in improving gut and heart health. One can also add a low-fat cheese slice to this low-calorie snack for more protein.

7) Avocado Toast – Avocado is such a great fruit. It is great for diabetic patients. One can eat a slice of avocado toast on whole grain bread before going to bed. This amazing snack can help in maintaining the sugar levels of the body.

8) Celery Sticks – Celery is a high-fiber, low-calorie food item that also provides minerals and vitamins to the body. Celery sticks with hummus is a great bedtime snack. For achieving the best results, one must evade highly processed hummus. One can easily make it at home by blending tahini, lemon, and chickpeas.

9) Sliced Apple with Peanut Butter – This delicious snack is not only good in taste but also rich in fiber, protein, and healthful fats. It helps control blood sugar levels. Apple is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. According to ADA, apples can play a great role in a healthy diet for people with diabetes. All you need to do is to simply cut a slice and add a light spread of peanut butter on it.

10) Low Glycemic Bar – There is a wide range of bars available in the market i.e. energy bars, snack bars, or protein bars. Different bars are specially prepared for diabetic patients. Low Glycemic Bar is a great bedtime snack for diabetic patients. It stabilizes the blood sugar levels of the body during sleep.

11) Greek yogurt (sugar-free) – Yogurt is one of the healthiest types of dairy. One can have it along with some reduced-fat cheeses and skim milk and. It is rich in calcium protein. Eating Greek yogurt before bedtime is a healthy choice.

12) Popcorn – Eating popcorns before sleeping can also help in balancing the blood sugar levels at night. There are different methods of preparing popcorns. It is a light and healthful snack. This amazing snack contains minerals, fiber, protein, and vitamins. One can also add a few mixed nuts in it for added protein.

13) Mixture – You can mix and match any of the above too as long as each portion is not overdoing it.

Other Important Guidelines

Always try to eat healthy and fresh products so that your body remains active and works well. Some general tips might be advantageous for everyone. A few of them are listed below:

• Always try to eat mindfully by keeping your focus on enjoying the food
• Plan your meals, treats, and snacks ahead of time
• Avoid eating food while reading or sitting in front of the television
• Always select healthful snacks that are rich in calories and low-quality carbohydrates
• Pay complete attention to portion sizes

Eating a full meal before going to bed is not a healthy choice and is not recommended by doctors. Always try to speak with your registered dietician or doctor before making the foremost changes to your diet or eating habits.

Benefits of Having a Bedtime Snack

Some of the benefits of eating a bedtime snack are as follows:

• It lessens the “smoggy” effect by preventing the blood glucose levels from dropping very low during the night
• Helps in proving better sleep
• Help with curb cravings
• Makes you feel good and healthy

There are a lot of other ways that can also help in controlling the blood sugar levels at night. A few of them are as follows:

Avoid Taking Stimulants – Try to avoid taking coffee, soda, and chocolate before bedtime. The reason is that all these caffeinated drinks and food items excite your brain and keeps you awake. Moreover, try to limit alcohol intake, particularly if you find it to be disorderly your slumber and impacting your blood sugar levels.

Proper Exercise – Exercise is very important for diabetic patients. One cannot live a healthy life just by focusing on their diet. Proper exercise is equally important. It helps insulin work more proficiently. Try to take a walk just after dinner or before going to bed.

This habit can help in keeping your blood sugar levels under control through the following morning. This approach not only keeps you healthy but also provides you a better sleep.

Making your Bed – Preparing your bedroom before sleeping also results in providing great sleep and keeping your body sugar levels stable while sleeping. To optimize your capability to fall asleep and reside that way all through the night, your bedroom needs to be cool, quiet, comfortable, and dark.

Try to set the thermostat level between 60˚F and 67˚F. This thermostat level is the optimal temperature for sleep. Always keep your cellphone away from you so that you cannot use your phone before sleeping or after waking up. If you are the one who is sensitive to noise, then get yourself a white noise machine or a fan. One can also use earplugs to block out any surplus sounds.

Doing a Bedtime Routine – A large number of diabetic patients found it difficult to sleep at night. They get twitchy and restless during the night. This is because of nerve pain, the need to urinate, frequent thirst, and hunger. One can discuss all these problems with their doctor and work on controlling these issues. One of the best ways to maximize your sleep hours is to acquire a bedtime routine.

Before going to bed, do something to slow down or lighten up your body and calm your mind to prepare it for sleep. Doing some gentle yoga, reading some interesting book, or taking a warm bath before going to bed is highly effective and can help you to fall asleep easily.

Final Thoughts

So, these are Good Bedtime Snacks for Diabetics. There are a large number of people who sense the rise and fall of blood sugar levels during the night. An individual must consume a good amount of calories, fiber, and high-protein snacks to stabilize their blood sugar levels while sleeping. Here in this article, you will get a complete guide about the best bedtime snacks. Let’s have a look at the content above.