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Do you eat a snack before bed?

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
sandym

sandym

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I was always told to, but now I am wondering as I am slowly reducing my night time Lantus. I had a piece of wholemeal bread last night. Went to bed 9.9 and awoke at 13.9! I am in the process of getting some professional help with the whole of my diabetes but meanwhile, I'm doing what I can. But keep getting horribly confused!
 
Personally, I no longer do this, although I did in the first few months after diagnosis as otherwise I would drop low. Back then, I didn't know enough about things to adjust my lantus properly, but now I'm much more in tune with things. You shouldn't need to have a snack if your lantus is set at the correct dose - levels should not vary more than 2 mmol/l overnight, normally dropping to their lowest around 3 am (so often a good idea to set an alarm to test at this time to check what happens overnight with you).

I'm very lucky in that my levels are very stable overnight - for example, last night I went to bed on 5.2 mmol/l and woke this morning on 4.9 mmol/l. I've also reduced my lantus by a whacking 95% since I was diagnosed - if I was to take the 20 units I was taking back then now I probably wouldn't wake up! 😱

In terms of snacks, I used to find that a slice of bread and peanut butter was good, as it is very slow-release overnight.
 
Thanks for that. I realise that my usual 13 dose of Lantus is stupidly high. If I went to bed on a 5 anything I'd have a hypo in the night for sure! I shall carry on practising reducing the lantus. I am down to 8 at night now. I'm just going down a unit a night, and tonight I shall be brave and not eat. I usually wake around 3am anyway so will get up and test. Thanks again and sorry to keep bombarding you with questions!
 
sandym said:
Thanks for that. I realise that my usual 13 dose of Lantus is stupidly high. If I went to bed on a 5 anything I'd have a hypo in the night for sure! I shall carry on practising reducing the lantus. I am down to 8 at night now. I'm just going down a unit a night, and tonight I shall be brave and not eat. I usually wake around 3am anyway so will get up and test. Thanks again and sorry to keep bombarding you with questions!
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No worries about the questions - that's why we are here! 13 isn't particularly high or low a dose, it's just that I am a bit weird and have an extremely low dose. The right dose is whatever it takes to keep your levels nice and steady, and in range overnight and through the following day when you are not eating.

Perhaps you should reduce the size of the snack you have rather than none at all - maybe half a slice. It's best to be cautious when reducing basal insulin as you are obviously not monitoring it as closely overnight as you would during the day.
 
Hi Sandy,

I used to when I was only on 2 injections a day, but now I'm on MDI I only inject when I eat, hence no need for the bedtime snack anymore 🙂

Hope this helps.
 
imtrying said:
Hi Sandy,

I used to when I was only on 2 injections a day, but now I'm on MDI I only inject when I eat, hence no need for the bedtime snack anymore 🙂

Hope this helps.
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Ditto. It shouldn't be necessary on MDI.
 
Hi I now have slice or toast or no supper ( no carbs at suppertime i think gives you a good indication that your BI is working . or maynb just couple crackers and cheese /peanut butter like 20carb and now gettn up in morning to target BG as i always had highs above 14
Marie
 
On MDI / basal bolur regime, most people only need to eat a snack before bedtime if highly energetic exercise is expected - not always the type of activity people think of first (snigger :D) but also all night awake staffing adventure race check points, moving heavy kit boxes, bikes and kayaks, for example. 🙂
 
As HOBIE said this, I should clarify - I do sometimes have a late evening snack - but only if I want to not because I need to.
 
I have so much to learn :/ Thanks folks. Can I ask what does MDI stand for? You'd think I've never been to a Dr with this wouldn't you lol!
 
HI Sandym

MDI Stands for multiple daily injections
 
Do you eat a snack before bed?

HOBIE said:
No i DONT eat if i dont want to !
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trophywench said:
As HOBIE said this, I should clarify - I do sometimes have a late evening snack - but only if I want to not because I need to.
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HOBIE & trophywench or anybody else,

If you decide / want to have a late evening snack 1. what would you usually have and 2. would you inject some bolus / QA. If the latter how much? To confirm, i'm on MDI, so Humalog 3 x per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) & Lantus before bed.
 
whiskysmum said:
Do you eat a snack before bed?

HOBIE & trophywench or anybody else,

If you decide / want to have a late evening snack 1. what would you usually have and 2. would you inject some bolus / QA. If the latter how much? To confirm, i'm on MDI, so Humalog 3 x per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) & Lantus before bed.
Click to expand...

1. Depends on what I fancy. Often just a handful or two of peanuts (and if so would not inject). If something more substantial (>10g CHO) I would conservatively inject. I was a bit more cautious of doing this on MDI as I was concerned about overnight lows and found injecting small amounts to cover snacks a bit unreliable.

2. In theory it's much easier on a pump as I can give conservative doses with fractional units. Sometimes these days I grab a biscuit of something depending on how much insulin is still chugging through the system and my pre-bed level and my expectation of whether there might still be some eve meal pottering along.

TBH I usually avoid snacks that require injections immediately before bed as any enjoyment I might have had evaporates in all the faffing about/second guessing doses etc 🙄 Maybe once I'm a bit more confident in pumpland I'll give it a bit more of a try.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
...TBH I usually avoid snacks that require injections immediately before bed as any enjoyment I might have had evaporates in all the faffing about/second guessing doses etc 🙄 ...
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This is me also, I long ago decided it wasn't worth risking a nighttime low by injecting before bed for the sake of a carb snack. I think on two occasions only I have done a correction dose before bed, but being very conservative with those too.
 
Northerner said:
Personally, I no longer do this, although I did in the first few months after diagnosis as otherwise I would drop low. Back then, I didn't know enough about things to adjust my lantus properly, but now I'm much more in tune with things. You shouldn't need to have a snack if your lantus is set at the correct dose - levels should not vary more than 2 mmol/l overnight, normally dropping to their lowest around 3 am (so often a good idea to set an alarm to test at this time to check what happens overnight with you).

I'm very lucky in that my levels are very stable overnight - for example, last night I went to bed on 5.2 mmol/l and woke this morning on 4.9 mmol/l. I've also reduced my lantus by a whacking 95% since I was diagnosed - if I was to take the 20 units I was taking back then now I probably wouldn't wake up! 😱

In terms of snacks, I used to find that a slice of bread and peanut butter was good, as it is very slow-release overnight.
Click to expand...

You lucky person! My levels usually drop by about 10 (!) overnight!! I've been reducing my Lantus in a gentle way to see what happens. I usually have a snack at bedtime to see me through the night, but rarely inject after about 7pm. Of course I've also got issues with taking in enough calories, which is also why I eat at that time.

I've been doing a bit of foot stamping recently, and have now been referred to Bournemouth who seem much more switched on and open minded. They might even have other patients like me who don't have a pancreas. I've been hearing some interesting comments about my local diabetes consultants and I now know that it's not just me who's not impressed. 🙂
 
pottersusan said:
You lucky person! My levels usually drop by about 10 (!) overnight!!
Click to expand...

Wowsers Susan that's a scary number! How much Lantus are you currently taking? Have you ever tried taking it in the mornings rather than last thing at night? Or tried splitting the dose in two approx 12 hours apart?

Sounds like you would benefit from focussing on trying to get your basal insulin at the right level (or possibly least worst since it can be a bit of a compromise on MDI). Have you ever come across the concept of basal testing? Take a look here if interested: http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120
 
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