numbers raise at night
 

My numbers can be good during the day but they raise at night. Any tips that I can do to help with this. Also what is a good number? This is all new to me and I haven't been able to talk to my doctor a lot yet.
Scott Turner

Hi Scott!

Are you saying that your numbers raise in the night, while you are asleep, or they raise after dinner and prior to bed? Tell us if you are using diet & excercise, medications or insulin. Note that a 30 minute walk after dinner will most likely help.

Normal numbers are around 80 to 120....

numbers raise at night
 

The numbers raise at night while I am asleep. They are not terribly high but higher than when I go to bed. I take 500 mg Metformin 2 x a day and have been exercising. I have lost six pounds since janu 4, when i was started on the medication and have been trying to watch what I eat .
Scott

Good for you in losing the weight! You are on the right track.

Are you finding that your dinner meal is usually larger (more carbs) than your lunch meal? Do you walk after dinner?

numbers raise at night
 

No I don't exercise so much after supper. I have been using our ellipitical machine. and I try not to have so many carbs for supper. Yesterday I had 311.9g of carbs accoridng to the application that I use on my ipod touch (and that is about 50 percent allowed.) . I love this application as well as that one. I never would have thought I would have used an ipod so much.

Scott

I will have to agree with you! I couldn't get by without my iPhone, because I use so many health apps on it. Try cutting back on some of the carbs at your evening meal. One piece of bread instead of two etc. and I think you will see a difference. Also walking for thirty (30) minutes, after dinner, will also make a difference. If you go out and eat Italian, for instance, you may have to use a combination of the two methods. Good luck with getting you fasting "out of bed" blood glucose levels down. I hope this helps in some way!

Something to think about fellas...many diabetics experience the Dawn Phenom. Check your glucose about an hour after your first check it in the morning, without a meal. See if it has gone down. A theory exists that our bodies produce more sugar while we sleep to help the body prepare for the next day's activities, a leftover trait from our hunting days (well, some of us still hunt:) ).

Make sure you mention this to your doctor. There are different ideas on how to get this to come down. Hopefully, with diet and exercise, you can lower your glucose levels in the mornings.

I have the exact same problem. . . for example last night before bed my glucose was 100 and when I woke up this morning it was 114 (and that's lower than it's normally been. . . usually it is in the 120 to 140 range). I thought for sure I would be under 99 when I got up since it was 100 before bed. I have been working really hard to get my numbers down. This app is a lifesaver!!! I love the graphs.

Good idea, Danny, I think I will try working out for 20 to 30 minutes after dinner. However, I usually get really hungry about 30 minutes after I workout. . . what (if any) have you found to be the best thing to eat later at night close to bedtime?

April

April;

Try a hand full (about 8 to 10) almonds. I have heard of other things, but this is just what I use. It works pretty good. Don't forget to drink lots of water after walking!

April;

Other snacks could include celery and cheese, peanut butter and crackers (crackers are about 2 carbs per cracker, though). Have you ever tried celery and peanut butter?

Morning testing
 

Remember, a lot of things raise the blood sugar. Stress, infection, anger, frustration, and in many diabetics even caffeine will raise the blood sugar.

You must also remember that those hormones released in the wee hours of the morning to prepare us for getting up (growth hormone, cortisol, epi, norepi) also stimulate the liver to produce sugar. So occasionally you will see bumps on your first test of the day. This process is called gluconeogenesis, where the liver creates glucose from non-carbohydrate sources such as amino acids and lactate. This is why many Type II diabetics are started on Metformin--this drug inhibits this process in the liver and is generally very well tolerated.

The American College of Endocrinologists set a goal of 70-110 on arising and before meals and <140 two hours after meals measured from the first bite of food, not the last. Studies show the after meal blood sugar is much more predictive of bad outcomes than the before meal blood sugar, so I would concentrate more on those.

Also, the long-term measurement of control is the A1c(Hemoglobin A one c). Normal is usually 4-6% and ACE sets a goal of <6.5% for best results. The ADA goes on to say patients with diabetes should normalize their A1c as long as they are not having excess symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Remember, watch the carbs. They fuel the blood sugar the most. If you are new to this, I would shoot for a max of 100-120 carb gm per day (not all at once!). Focus on those after meal tests to figure out what moves your BG the most and avoid those foods. If this range does not give you good control, nudge it downward. Good luck.

Hey Danny,

Sorry I didn't respond to your post, the Forums were down. Yes have had celery and peanut butter. I love that as a snack. Thanks for the ideas. However, evening workouts are not doing it for me. I have got my bs levels during the day to stay under 140 for the most part (I am still learning what foods work best for me). I am still staying in the 130's in the morning. I even moved my metformin to bedtime.

Oh well, I will just keep trying :)

April <3

I am sorry to hear that April. The doctor may eventually want you to take more Metformine. I currently take 1,000 mg twice per day. Counting carbs and excercise are two things that have probably worked better for me than most of the medications.

Scott;

I personally try to keep my fasting blood glucose level "out of bed" in the range of 70 - 90 mg/dl.

The "Dawn Phenomenon", also mentioned by others, or the "Somogyi Effect" could be the cause of your elevated fasting blood glucose level. These are described here. I hope that this helps in some way.

I am having the same problem with my morning numbers being higher than when I went to bed. My morning routine is: I test before I get out of bed, get ready for work, get kids ready for school, drop both kids off at different schools, get to work and about an hour after arriving I check my bs again before I take a short break for a light snack for breakfast. I haven't eaten or drank anything in between getting up and this second test which is about 3 hours later. That number is usually about 40 mg/dl higher than what it was when I first woke up. Again, I haven't eaten or drank anything other then a sip of diet coke to take my meds before I leave home. Any ideas on what could be causing this? The mornings are stressfull with so much running around, could stress hormones cause such an increase? It doesn't sound like "dawn phenomenon" to me. Thanks.

cyndiburden

I think that stress, in your case, is the culprit. I have seen stress raise blood glucose levels, to a very high number, making some very sick.

Hi Guys - first posting here - but not new to diabetes. Morning levels are usually higher due to DP (Dawn Pheon) most D experience this as the liver prepares the body for "activity" and so dumps glucose. Many have tried eating a light snack before bed, and also a glass of wine and some cheese - this stops the liver response to dumping the sugar. What I used to do was take applecider vinegar (2tbspns) before bed and chase it down with water. This reduced my bs levels considerably. Also 30 mins of light exercise - maybe an easy walk or riding a stationery bike helps to keep the sugar down for DP - after dinner.:)

All great info. What time is your dinner and what timeare you going to bed? Since you are losing weight your body is getting smarter and is burning stored fats. As these burn they will change your readings. Check with your doc but a snakc in the 15-25 carb range may help the balance and burn the snack to keep you as little more stable.

Hi - I'm new to this. The best thing that has happened to me is getting my meter and this application. I'm really 'getting it' now that I have these tools. I'm hoping for now to manage with diet and exercise. I haven't seen my endochronologist since getting the meter and still have a month - if I could ask a few questions ... 1. what is the 'carb application' for my iphone - I'm learning this is where I need help. 2. Since not eating carbs for 2 days (only protein & lots of veggies) , all my reading are normal 108 - 92 (prior 147 - 78). I've lost 10 pounds in less than 2 weeks, since starting my readings - Will my readings improve as I loose weight so that I can start to reintroduce carbs? Thanks! Cindy

Cindy;

Welcome to the Forum! Congratulations on the weight loss!

1. The "carb application" for your iPhone is a tough one, since there are several. I will tell you that I use two different "free" ones. First is "GoMeals" which does a good job with counting carbs and it gives you total carbs per meal. Second is "Lose It!" which does a very good job if you are trying to lose weight. It does not add the total carbs per meal up for you, but you can do this with your calculator, since it does give you the carbs per meal item. This is the app that I use the most.

2. I am not sure that the no carb diet is good for your system. I would think that introducing some carbs, as in a low carb diet would be more beneficial. There are several books and websites for the low carb diet and its benifit to people with T2 diabetes. May I suggest starting here? Yes, I think that your readings will improve as you lose weight, atleast it did for me. Good luck! I hope that this helps in someway!

I have my carbs (starches) at breakfast and lunch. I only eat protein and vegetables at dinner. So far my fasting levels have been 88-105. On nights I went out to dinner and had some carbs, my fasting levels were higher, 113-115. But one time I was 100 after dinner and 116 the next morning.

I am really wrestling with this. My numbers are reasonable during the day and at night when I go to bed, but always the highest of the day when I wake up. I can be 120-130 before bed and wake up with 140-150. My doc suggested taking the Metformin earlier in the evening (at around 6-7) rather than at bedtime (11 or so). I usually get up at 6 and check it and a about an hour later before I eat breakfast; it doesn't go down much. The challenge is, fortunately, my A1c levels are good, because that is basically an average, from the way I understand. Low to average during the day...hight in the mornings. It is frustrating.

I also have been having the same issue - but my morning blood sugar has been as high as 300 - today I was happy it was only 168 but then it went up to 198 after a yogurt and coffee breakfast. My doctor added glipizide in the evening and in the morning also in addition to my metformin. I exercise a lot (swimming) and have basically cut out all carbs - any ideas? I lost 80 pounds in the last year and have seen the nutritionist but I still cannot get the blood sugar to come down. Thanks for any help!

tkielhorn;

Keep up the good work and stay the course, your numbers will get better.

My doctor told me to have a bit of peanut butter before bed. The morning bloodsugars are bad for me too...but one day at a time til we find what works. Tiny snack before bedtime recommended - have heard a tiny carb with some protein. All the best as u find what works for you! Keep us posted! We all learn together. 

I have this problem also. What I found works for me is just before I go to bed I will have one turkey beef stick or about 1/2 serving of dark chocolate, 60%, this give my system enough carbs to get through the night and keeps my system from making it's own sugar. I would be happy with a 4 point difference from night to morning. My doc discourages breads, crackers, cookies and like foods, and encourages proteins.

I experienced the same thing with elevated BG levels in the morning. By chance, I found an article about a relationship between BG levels and sleep apnea, which I have. Since I know many diabetics also have sleep apnea, this may help explain some of the increase.

I was taking 4 meds for my type 2, metformin, amaryl, januvia, and actos. I read that actos may have issues with bladder cancer. Talked to my Doc and and decided to drop the januvia and actos and replace them with victoza. It is a sub q injection. I started 2 weeks ago, my morning readings have dropped dramatically and my daytime have improved also. One side effect is weight loss (good thing). To investigate check webmd, overwhelming positive reviews.