High morning blood sugar is often due to the Dawn Phenomenon, a natural hormonal surge (cortisol, growth hormone) around 3-8 a.m. that tells your liver to release glucose for waking energy, overwhelming the body's insulin response, especially if you have diabetes. Other causes include waning insulin/medication overnight or the rarer Somogyi Effect (rebound from low blood sugar). Managing it involves monitoring, diet adjustments (less evening carbs), timing medication, and exercise.
To help you prevent or correct high blood sugar in the morning, your health care provider may suggest that you:
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.
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.
Yes, a morning blood sugar of 7.8 mmol/L (140 mg/dL) is considered high and falls into the prediabetes range, indicating elevated levels that need attention, especially if it's a consistent fasting reading, pointing towards potential diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance. While normal fasting levels are below 5.6 mmol/L, consistently being in the 7.8 mmol/L range suggests the body isn't properly managing glucose, which can lead to diabetes complications over time.
Hyperglycemia is blood glucose greater than 125 mg/dL while fasting and greater than 180 mg/dL 2 hours postprandial. A patient has impaired glucose tolerance, or pre-diabetes, with a fasting plasma glucose of 100 mg/dL to 125 mg/dL.
In people with prediabetes or diabetes, morning blood sugar can remain high as the body becomes less sensitive to insulin or produces smaller amounts of insulin. This is known as the “dawn phenomenon.” High blood sugar in the mornings affects roughly half of all people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Try one the following healthful snacks before bed to help manage blood sugar levels and satisfy nighttime hunger:
Non-diabetic individuals should aim for blood glucose metrics in the following ranges: Fasting Glucose: 80-86 mg/dl. Pre-Meal (Baseline Glucose): 72-90 mg/dl. Post-Meal Glucose Peak: 99.2 ± 10.5 to 137.2 ± 21.1 mg/dl.
Physical activity can lower your blood glucose up to 24 hours or more after your workout by making your body more sensitive to insulin. Become familiar with how your blood glucose responds to exercise. Checking your blood glucose level more often before and after exercise can help you see the benefits of activity.
What Can Cause False High Blood Sugar Readings?
If your blood sugar is low, follow the 15-15 rule: Have 15 grams of carbs, then wait 15 minutes. Check your blood sugar again. If it's still less than 70 mg/dL, repeat this process.
Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG)
This test checks your fasting blood glucose levels. Fasting means after not having anything to eat or drink (except water) for at least 8 hours before the test. This test is usually done first thing in the morning, before breakfast.
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.
Food, most drinks, and strenuous exercise can all lead to inaccurate blood test results. If the results of the blood test are unclear, the process will have to be completed again to get numbers that reflect your true state of health. In most cases, water (still or sparkling) may be consumed before a fasting blood test.
Is High Morning Blood Sugar Normal in Non-Diabetics? Elevated morning blood sugar levels in non-diabetic individuals can be caused by various factors. This natural physiological response typically occurs due to the release of hormones like cortisol and growth hormone during the early morning hours.
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.
Most adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes (not pregnant)
In general, experts suggest an A1c of lower than 7% for most adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who aren't pregnant. Before meals, the suggested target blood glucose range is 80 to 130 mg/dL. At 1 to 2 hours after meals, it is lower than 180 mg/dL.
8 Simple Snacks That Won't Spike Your Blood Sugar
Gosha-jinki-gan (GJK), consisting of 10 herbs, has been widely used for a regimen of diabetic complications, including neuropathy, in Japan.
Dietary modifications help the patients to control blood glucose. Traditional herbs and spices are commonly used for control of glucose among which cinnamon (Ròu Guì; Cinnamomum cassia) has the greatest effect. Research has shown that adding cinnamon to diet can help to lower the glucose level.
Impact on Diabetes Management
Sometimes, for people with diabetes, the dawn phenomenon can be tricky. It makes the sugar in their blood increase in the morning, and that can cause problems. You might feel like you need to urinate frequently, get very thirsty, feel tired, or cause blurry vision.
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.