robin_g25 asked:
I’m a Type 2 Diabetic controlling my diabetes (for now) with Diet/exercise. I have lost weight, increased activity. At night before bed, my blood glucose is pretty good (100-115). But, then first thing in the morning before breakfast, it seems to spike (145-160). Anyone else experincing this? What can I do to manage?
4 replies on “Why is my blood glucose increasing overnight?”
The increase in blood sugar may be due to either the Dawn effect or the Somogyi Effect.
The dawn effect is caused by not having enough insulin in your body at night. While we sleep, glucose is released into our body as a response to hormone stimuli. The release of these hormones to repair and maintain your body causes an increase in blood glucose levels during the first hours of the morning. If you take insulin, you should increase your insulin dosage at night or take it later in the evening.
The Somogyi effect differs from the dawn effect because it is caused by too much insulin at night, and there is a dramatic decrease in blood glucose between 2-4 am. Because of this drop, the body compensates by increasing glucose in the body, thus causing the high blood suger upon awakening. The only way to differentiate between the two is to check your blood sugar between 2-4 am. If you do not currently take insulin, then this probably is not the problem because it is caused by too much insulin at night.
I wish mine only spiked that much!
My blood sugar is around 90-120 when I go to sleep and when I wake up its between 260-300!! It is so frustrating!!!!
I have tried everything! I just don’t know what to do anymore. I spend all day trying to get my blood levels back in check only to have it ruined at night!
I think it is because of some hormones like cortisols which are release in carcadium rhythm which is highest level in the morning to cope with stress.These hormones can cause hyperglycemia.However,You should seek advice from DR coz it may need to take oral hypoglycemic agents.
Oh I just learned this tonight while I was at my diabetes education class! The reason why it is high is because when you sleep at night, your liver is also producing glucose in order to keep your body in check. There really isn’t a way to completely avoid it, but they do say that you should eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking up – that way your liver will know that you are feeding your body and then the liver will stop producing the glucose.