Normal blood sugar levels when you wake up According to the American Diabetes Association, your blood sugar when you wake should be below 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) if you don't have diabetes.
The expected values for normal fasting blood glucose concentration are between 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) and 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L). When fasting blood glucose is between 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) changes in lifestyle and monitoring glycemia are recommended.
What should your blood sugar be when you wake up? Whenever possible, aim to keep your glucose levels in range between 70 and 130 mg/dL in the morning before you eat breakfast, and between 70 and 180 mg/dL at other times.
Fasting blood sugar test
Less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L ) is normal. 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L ) is diagnosed as prediabetes. 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L ) or higher on two separate tests is diagnosed as diabetes.
Target blood sugar levels differ for everyone, but generally speaking: if you monitor yourself at home – a normal target is 4-7mmol/l before eating and under 8.5-9mmol/l two hours after a meal.
Ideal or normal blood sugar levels are 3-6 mmol/L before meals and 3-7 mmol/L 2 hours after meals. Fair control is a blood sugar level range of 6-8 mmol/L before meals and 7-10 mmol/L after meals.
The dawn phenomenon
In the early hours of the morning, hormones, including cortisol and growth hormone, signal the liver to boost the production of glucose, which provides energy that helps you wake up. This triggers beta cells in the pancreas to release insulin in order to keep blood glucose levels in check.
A normal pre-prandial (before meal) blood glucose level will be between 4 and 7 mmol/l. Aftereating (post-prandial) levels should be below 9 mmol/l when tested 2 hours after a meal. When going to bed for the night, levels should be no more than 8 mmol/l.
For most people without diabetes, normal blood sugar levels are: between 4 and to 6 mmol/L before meals. less than 8 mmol/L two hours after eating.
A normal fasting blood sugar level is below 100; whereas, the level of a person with prediabetes is between 100 and 126. Once levels have surpassed 126, it's classified as Type 2 diabetes.
Squeezing your finger
When you do that, you are getting some interstitial fluid rather than blood. A study shows that this “may lead to unreliable readings." Gently warming the hands ahead of time can help so you don't have squeeze so hard.
That early morning jump in your blood sugar? It's called the dawn phenomenon or the dawn effect. It usually happens between 2 and 8 a.m.
Avoid Dangerous Blood Sugar if You Have Diabetes. Skipping a meal is typically no big deal. But if you're a person with diabetes, skipping meals or a lack of meal structure could result in dangerously low or high blood sugar levels.
Before meals, the suggested target blood glucose range is 4.0 to 8.0 mmol/L. At 2 hours after meals, the range is 5.0 to 10.0 mmol/L.
Normal fasting plasma glucose levels < 6.1 mmol/L indicates a person does not have diabetes. Fasting plasma glucose levels between 6.1 to < 7.0 mmol/L indicates a person is at high risk of having diabetes. Abnormal fasting blood glucose levels ≥ 7.0 mmol/L indicates a person has diabetes.
Doctors suggest that a normal fasting blood sugar range is between 70–100 mg/dL (3.9–5.6 mmol/L). If your fasting blood sugar is consistently over 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L), your doctor will diagnose diabetes. You can reduce your risk of high fasting blood sugar by eating your dinner earlier the night before.
People with diabetes should eat dinner between 8 and 9 pm. Eating close to bedtime or late at night must be avoided.
When a person is fasting, their blood glucose levels decrease. This triggers the pancreas to make and release more glucagon, a hormone that keeps glucose from dropping too low. Glucagon does this by causing the liver to break down glycogen (stored glucose) and release the glucose back into the bloodstream.
Caffeine can cause a spike in blood sugar levels. This happens because caffeine triggers a hormonal response in our bodies. First, it blocks adenosine receptors. These receptors help us fall asleep by binding to our cells.
High blood sugar (hyperglycemia ) is common in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but it can also occur in people without these diseases as a result of a major illness, a chronic medical condition, a hormonal disorder, or certain medications. In that case, it is often called nondiabetic hyperglycemia.
“The study results showed people who start eating earlier in the day had lower blood sugar levels and insulin resistance as compared to those who eat later.”
If you notice that your blood sugar levels are often high, (above 10mmol) you should contact your diabetes healthcare team. They will review your treatment and provide you with advice on how to get your blood sugar levels back within your target range. This advice may include increasing your medication.