High morning blood sugar, often the Dawn Phenomenon, happens because your body releases hormones (cortisol, growth hormone) to prepare you for waking, signaling the liver to produce glucose; in people with diabetes, the body can't produce enough insulin to counter this, causing levels to rise, but it could also be due to waning insulin overnight or late-night carbs.
What you can do. To help you prevent or correct high blood sugar in the morning, your health care provider may suggest that you: Avoid carbohydrates at bedtime. Change your dose of diabetes medicine or insulin.
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.
Typical times to check your blood sugar include: When you first wake up, before you eat or drink anything. Before a meal. Two hours after a meal.
According to its proponents, you use the pinch method by holding the thumb and index finger of one hand just above the wrist of the other hand and then exerting a little bit of pressure on the wrist. Doing this will supposedly cause the release of insulin and break down glucose.
Your healthcare professional may suggest a CGM or blood sugar testing 4 to 10 times a day if you have type 1 diabetes. You may need to test: Before meals and snacks, and sometimes after meals. Before, after and sometimes during exercise.
Eating at the same times every day can make it easier to see how your meals impact your glucose levels, helping you prevent high and low blood sugar at night. Keep glucose tablets or a sugary snack or drink next to your bed so that you can treat a nighttime hypo if you're experiencing one.
Symptoms of hyperglycaemia
With each additional hour of fasting the blood glucose decreases by about 0.024 mmol/L (≙0.4 mg/dL) in men and 0.009 mmol/L (≙0.2 mg/dL) in women.
When we lack sleep, the body may produce additional cortisol. While cortisol production increases in the body, blood sugar levels may also increase. While this occurs a small degree within the body naturally, our behavior drives this change even more by what we eat.
The most effective treatment for combating dawn phenomenon is taking insulin with an insulin pump. Oral diabetes medications typically don't help with dawn phenomenon.
A reading of 200 mg/dL or higher is generally considered high and indicates hyperglycemia, which is elevated blood sugar. However, it's essential to understand that the exact interpretation can vary based on individual factors, such as the time of the day and the type of meal.
Levels of fasting glucose that are between 100 and 120 mg/dl indicate a risk of diabetes and are what many call "pre-diabetes". This is not the same as diabetes. Taking a medication such as Metformin (commonly used for diabetes) has not shown any benefit in reducing the risk of actually developing diabetes.
What Can Cause False High Blood Sugar Readings?
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.
Dawn phenomenon happens when hormones your body naturally makes in the early morning (including cortisol and growth hormone) increase your blood sugar. The Somogyi effect also involves a surge of hormones, but it's due to a low blood sugar episode overnight. Dawn phenomenon doesn't happen because of low blood sugar.
Drink more water
“Water helps your kidneys filter out excess sugar through urine,” says Khan. “So, the more hydrated you are, the more urine production you'll have, which flushes out sugar in the body.” Always opt for water instead of sugary drinks, like soda and juice.
8 Simple Snacks That Won't Spike Your Blood Sugar
Normal blood sugar would be 99 mg/dL or lower after a blood test in which the patient fasted overnight. A blood sugar of 100 mg/dL or higher is considered abnormal. A range of 100-125 mg/dL falls under the category of prediabetes, while a blood sugar of 126 mg/dL or higher is considered type 2 diabetes.
Try to eat less of these: refined, highly processed carbohydrate foods and those with added sugar. These include sugary drinks like soda, sweet tea and juice, refined grains like white bread, white rice and sugary cereal, and sweets and snack foods like cake, cookies, candy and chips.
Peanuts and peanut butter have even been shown to help lessen the spike in blood sugar when paired with high-carbohydrate or high-GL foods. Peanuts and peanut butter are both low GI and GL foods, as they contain healthy oils, protein, and fiber that have a positive effect on blood sugar control.
Walking, like other exercise, can help: Lower blood sugar. Increase your body's ability to use insulin better.
A: Yes. Adults over 60 may have slightly higher fasting and post-meal blood sugar due to changes in metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Fasting sugar may range 80–110 mg/dL, and post-meal sugar may be less than 150 mg/dL.
It's a simple and common way to screen for prediabetes, diabetes or gestational diabetes. Don't eat or drink anything (except water) for eight to 12 hours before the test.
Your doctor may increase your dose if needed until your blood sugar is controlled. Later, your doctor may want you to take 500 or 850 mg two to three times a day with meals. However, the dose is usually not more than 2550 mg per day.