Morning reading

[Beancounter298]

Diagnosed type 2 end of November. Trying low carb (fewer than 100g per day). Readings before and after main meal seem ok but reading first thing in the morning is typically between 8 and 9, even when the previous evening after main meal is below 7

Given that I'm effectively fasting overnight, why is the reading higher?

2 x 500g twice per day, plus statin, BMI 24


Thanks for any explanation

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Ah the pesky morning reading!

Many of our T2s find it is the last and most stubborn to come into line.

You might be experiencing the Dawn Phenomenon, where the liver releases glucose in the early hours (or immediately after getting out of bed) to sort of ‘fire up the burners’ for the day ahead.

It’s part of the circadian rhythm, and everyone gets it to a certain extent, but it causes more of a BG rise in some people than others.

Some people find it helpful to eat breakfast fairly promptly after rising as this can help ‘switch off’ the liver dump.

Others find it helpful to have a lowish carb snack at bedtime to keep their liver happy overnight.

 

[harbottle]

Dawn Phenomenon.

Exact causes are unknown, but some research has shown that it's driven by a rise in the liver producing glucose coupled with a lack of insulin secretion to deal with it. It seems the metabolism switches from a steady state to a strange cyclic state where levels are higher in the morning and fall slowly towards the afternoon. (Perhaps linked to a change in Melatonin levels and the behaviour of the mechanism that detects day/night.)

As far as I'm aware, the only way to deal with it effectively is an injection of slow acting insulin the night before.