Confused (again?!)

[banditbilly]

Hi Guys

I'm still new to all this so bear with me if i've asked a silly question?! I had a reading of 5.4 before bed last night (that is my lowest EVER, by the way!) and i thought that i might be even lower in the morning as i thought sugar levels lowered overnight? However this morning I am 9.7 - how did that happen? Does your sugar level NOT lower overnight, or is something else happening that i don't know about?

 

[Mark T]

Well, it depends when you last ate before bed. But assuming there isn't any food still being processed when you go to bed , then yes your levels should drop a little overnight - or at least hold there value.

However, first thing in the morning your body releases lots of hormones, most of which tend to either increase your insulin resistance or raise your blood glucose.

I believe this is the dawn effect/dawn phenomenon.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Billy, not a silly question - as you sleep your blood sugar levels will fluctuate through the night, usually reaching their lowest level around 3 am and then climbing again as you begin to wake up. This is because your liver is constantly releasing some of its stores of glucose throughout the day and night in order to keep your vital functions working at a time when you are not receiving energy from food (things like your heart, breathing, your digestion etc. all still need energy!).

With some people the liver starts releasing more glucose as you begin to wake up, and may cause your levels to climb above normal levels since you have diabetes and cannot therefore regulate your levels efficiently as a non-diabetic person would - this is known as 'Dawn Phenomenon' and is a problem for a lot of people. Ideally, you should eat shortly after rising as this signals to the liver to slow down. 🙂

 

[Caroline]

Don't worry about asking question, we don't find out if we don't ask.

Sounds like you are getting dawn phenomenon.

My understanding of it is it is a long time between your meal in the evening and breakfast in the morning. Your body needs a certain ammount of energy to keep things working (our heart, lungs, liver and kidneys never take a break) so the liver releases glucose into the system to help keep things ticking over until you eat again.