The dawn phenomenon is an early-morning rise in blood sugar, also called blood glucose, in people with diabetes. The dawn phenomenon leads to high levels of blood sugar, a condition called hyperglycemia. It usually happens between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.
What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels? They're less than 100 mg/dL after not eating (fasting) for at least 8 hours. And they're less than 140 mg/dL 2 hours after eating. During the day, levels tend to be at their lowest just before meals.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mild high blood sugar
If your blood sugar levels are consistently higher than your target range (usually 11 mmol/L to 20 mmol/L, and 11 mmol/L to 14 mmol/L in children), you may have mild symptoms of high blood sugar. You may urinate more than usual if you are drinking plenty of liquids.
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.
If your insulin level falls too low overnight, your blood glucose rises. The reasons for the drop in insulin vary from person to person, but it most commonly occurs when your insulin secretion provide too little basal back up hence the glucose levels shoots up.
In most cases, doctors ask people to measure fasting blood sugar immediately upon waking and before they have anything to eat or drink. It may also be appropriate to test blood sugar before eating or 2 hours after a meal, which is when blood sugar returns to normal levels.
Normal Blood Sugar Levels Chart for Older Adults [ Ages 65+]
Those who do not have diabetes may be held to the same glucose range as healthy younger adults, keeping glucose between 70-140 mg/dL during the day.
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.
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.
Recommended finger: the World Health Organisation recommends the middle or ring fingers are used for blood glucose tests (second and third fingers). You may want to avoid using your little finger due to the skin being thin.
Normal and diabetic blood sugar ranges
For people with diabetes, blood sugar level targets are as follows: Before meals : 4 to 7 mmol/L for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. After meals : under 9 mmol/L for people with type 1 diabetes and under 8.5mmol/L for people with type 2 diabetes.
For most people, this is a safe pre-exercise blood sugar range. 250 mg/dL (13.9 mmol/L) or higher. This is a caution zone — your blood sugar may be too high to exercise safely.
A reading above 300 mg/dL can be dangerous, according to the University of Michigan, which recommends immediately informing your doctor if you have two or more readings of 300 mg/dL in a row. In severe cases, very high blood sugar levels (well above 300 mg/dL) can result in coma.
Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar. One study found that people who drink more water lower their risk for developing high blood sugar levels. And remember, water is the best. Sugary drinks elevate blood sugar by raising it even more.
From 90 to 130 mg/dL (5.0 to 7.2 mmol/L) for adults. From 90 to 130 mg/dL (5.0 to 7.2 mmol/L) for children, 13 to 19 years old. From 90 to 180 mg/dL (5.0 to 10.0 mmol/L) for children, 6 to 12 years old. From 100 to 180 mg/dL (5.5 to 10.0 mmol/L) for children under 6 years old.
In general: Less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L ) is normal. 140 to 199 mg/dL (7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L ) is consistent with prediabetes. 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L ) or higher after two hours suggests diabetes.
A blood sugar level less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) is normal. A reading of more than 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) after two hours means you have diabetes. A reading between 140 and 199 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L and 11.0 mmol/L) means you have prediabetes.
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.