When do you apply your new Libre?

[pawprint91]

These two weeks (almost) have flown by! I was just wondering how many people apply their new Libre the day before their old sensor is due to come off, as I have seen a few members on here say this is something they do to try and reduce it being so off kilter for the first 24 hours. Has anyone got any favourable reviews for doing this, or shall I just wait and take the old one off and apply the new one on the same day?

If you do it early, do you sleep on your old sensor or your new/does it matter if you sleep on your sensor anyway (I haven't yet - always sleep on the same side, and this is my first one ).

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I just wait and take the old one off and apply the new one on the same day?

That's what I do. Or (because I also have the reader, and I use the reader for the alarms) I try and apply the new sensor when the old one has less than an hour to go, and I initialise it with the reader. (I can still scan the old one with my phone.)

 

[JJay]

I have tried applying a new sensor 24hrs in advance but didn't find it made any significant difference, besides which, as quite a restless sleeper the idea of having 2 sensors to think about isn't appealing!

 

[helli]

I always apply my new sensor two days before the current one expires to give it time to bed in before I activate it.
I place it high up and far back on my arm and have never had an issue regarding lying on it causing compression lows. Therefore, I don't need to worry about lying on it.

Unfortunately, it is another thing that we all differ so you need to find out whether you need bedding in time (does your sensor give you spurious readings on the first day or two) or does your body accept it straight away?
If you have actively avoided lying on the sensor, you don't know if compression lows are a problems for you. However, if the sensor is not activated, it won't matter.

 

[Robin]

I try to apply mine 24hrs in advance, but I forgot last time, and did it the next morning, so it only got about 8 hours to bed in. I did find it read a bit low, and I had to do back up finger pricks the next day, until I was sure it was up to speed. I used to put them on without a warm up at all in the past, and some were fine, but the odd one took two days to bed in, so I always try to do it 24hrs in advance now just in case.

 

[nonethewiser]

Ages since placed sensor on arm 24hrs before, now just apply then wait 60mins then scan with phone, find its very accurate for me so there's no need for bedding it in.

 

[Inka]

It depends when my old one is due to be replaced (time of day). This time it was due early evening so I put the new sensor on in the morning. I often don’t bother. I wouldn’t put it on the day before because I’m a side-sleeper and sleep on the opposite side to my Libre. So if I had two on, I’d be stuck - and very tired

 

[Robin]

Do people really stay on the same side all night? I quite often fall asleep on one side, and wake up on the other. I find provided my Libre is sufficiently high on my arm, and towards the back, I don’t compress it very often.

 

[rebrascora]

I always apply a new sensor on an evening before bed as I find that gives it the whole night for the adhesive to get a good hold before it is exposed to the potential knocks, pings and scrubs of the day and allows it a bedding in time. I usually activate it midday the next day, so not a full day in advance but a lot more than the 60 min warm up period and I feel that does help with accuracy for me from the start although I usually still see a little bit of drift in the first day or two as compared to finger pricks. I usually do 2 or 3 checks in that period when my levels are really stable for about an hour and that will give me an indication of how far below a finger prick this sensor is reading. Very occasionally I have had one that reads above for a day or two and then reads consistently slightly below. Mostly they start quite close to finger prick and then drift to about 1mmol below and that is the norm for me.

 

[rebrascora]

I haven't had a compression low yet but then I mostly sleep on my back. It certainly won't do the sensor any "harm" as such to sleep on it but it may affect the readings if it causes a compression.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

That's what I do. Or (because I also have the reader, and I use the reader for the alarms) I try and apply the new sensor when the old one has less than an hour to go, and I initialise it with the reader. (I can still scan the old one with my phone.)

Depending on the time of day, sometimes I remove the old one and have a bath (with no sensor, obviously). And after a suitable period (to let my skin dry out completely) apply the new one.

 

[Inka]

Do people really stay on the same side all night? I quite often fall asleep on one side, and wake up on the other. I find provided my Libre is sufficiently high on my arm, and towards the back, I don’t compress it very often.

Yes - I have three children Zonked out pretty quickly and not much turning.

 

[PhoebeC]

Depending on the time of day, sometimes I remove the old one and have a bath (with no sensor, obviously). And after a suitable period (to let my skin dry out completely) apply the new one.

Same. I’m normally same day. And have a shower between sometimes

 

[pawprint91]

I wouldn’t put it on the day before because I’m a side-sleeper and sleep on the opposite side to my Libre. So if I had two on, I’d be stuck - and very tired

This is what I plan to do, too!

 

[pawprint91]

I always apply a new sensor on an evening before bed as I find that gives it the whole night for the adhesive to get a good hold before it is exposed to the potential knocks, pings and scrubs of the day and allows it a bedding in time. I usually activate it midday the next day, so not a full day in advance but a lot more than the 60 min warm up period and I feel that does help with accuracy for me from the start although I usually still see a little bit of drift in the first day or two as compared to finger pricks. I usually do 2 or 3 checks in that period when my levels are really stable for about an hour and that will give me an indication of how far below a finger prick this sensor is reading. Very occasionally I have had one that reads above for a day or two and then reads consistently slightly below. Mostly they start quite close to finger prick and then drift to about 1mmol below and that is the norm for me.

Mine is starting to drift now it's coming to the end, but it was really accurate in the middle period of it's life. Bit annoying that it's gone off kilter before a day out tomorrow, but hey ho! Thanks for the tip about activating a bit early 🙂