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Low suger level in the morning

A

ash55

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
Basically my wife has type to diabetes , what I don't understand is some times say 10pm her suger reading on machine is between 7-12 yet when she wakes up before breakfast it's between 4-5 nurse says 12 to high anything below 7 before bed he suger very low in the morning . Say if due was 5-6 before bed drop down very low in the middle of the night. I'd rather it be high so she's OK at night. As I'm nightshift worker. Only sheer luck I've been off or on week ends notice her low quick made her porridge in middle of the night to bring her back. Had a few 2.4 when she's broke out into a sweat and I've just caught her in time. Don't understand why when high or fairly high does end up pretty similar in morning her reading . I'm. Still struggling to understand which foods will keep her stable at night without having to worry always tell her check at night now in the week. Weekends I'm. Home so check after evening meals. Makes sure she has a snack before bed.
 
welcome here ash55

@daisy1

yes I do understand your worry,

I am type 2 so do not know enough of foods for the night counteracting insuline...

but I think I remembers somebody mentioning a level before sleep of 7-8 mmol... as optimal... but you really need to wait for some of the type1 persons in here that know very much of specifically that kind of matters... , stay here I think some will appear soon... or you look in in this forum in the morning again... people usually love to share their knowledge and help other fellows out..

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/blood-glucose-levels-before-bed.75705/
 
Hi @ash55 :)

What insulins is she taking and at what times? It could be that her basal insulin (long acting insulin) needs adjusting to stop her waking up low.

Has she set an alarm to test during the night to see when her blood sugar level is failing?

If she's low, she needs something sugary that can be absorbed quickly, eg glucose tablets, Lucozade, regular sugar Coke, etc
 
If my sugar is below 6.5 when I go to bed, I usually take some peanuts, or have a whole wheat cracker with peanutbutter or cream cheese. About 15 grams of complex carbs with some fiber and fat works wonders to keep me leveled during the night.

Exercise and time of dinner/last snack matter too. My sugars tend to drop for hours after I exercised. If I had a walk within 2 hours of going to bed, I tend to eat a cracker. Alcohol before bed also requires some carbs for me. I hypo within 5 hours of 1-2 glasses of wine or a beer if I go to sleep without having eaten.

I keep a can of regular coke on my bedside table to treat my hypos with at night.

I also 100% second what azure said. :)
 
Not really any point in me commenting here, as @azure has covered everything:)

Lucozade is a great source of glucose when a diabetic has low BG. I'm yet to find an alternative that brings my BG up as fast.

It may be worth discussing the concept of "basal rate testing" with your wife's DSN and/or Dr.

Just to get your wife and yourself a little familiar with the concept, principle and ethos behind basal rate testing you can have a look at the following link:

https://mysugr.com/basal-rate-testing/

As @azure has already said, it's more than likely that your Mrs needs less basal insulin. However, before making any adjustments - it's always best advised to seek the input from a medical professional.

Please keep us informed on how matters progress.
 
Hi @ash55
welcome to the forum.:)

the assumption is that your wife is taking insulin ............ is this correct ?
If so .... what insulins is she taking ?
does she have the ability to test herself ?
does she test her own blood sugar ??

night time hypos are a worry .
testing at bed time and eating a small snack ( as a type 1 ) have helped me avoid the majority of hypos in the middle of the night
 
ash55 said:
Basically my wife has type to diabetes , what I don't understand is some times say 10pm her suger reading on machine is between 7-12 yet when she wakes up before breakfast it's between 4-5 nurse says 12 to high anything below 7 before bed he suger very low in the morning . Say if due was 5-6 before bed drop down very low in the middle of the night. I'd rather it be high so she's OK at night. As I'm nightshift worker. Only sheer luck I've been off or on week ends notice her low quick made her porridge in middle of the night to bring her back. Had a few 2.4 when she's broke out into a sweat and I've just caught her in time. Don't understand why when high or fairly high does end up pretty similar in morning her reading . I'm. Still struggling to understand which foods will keep her stable at night without having to worry always tell her check at night now in the week. Weekends I'm. Home so check after evening meals. Makes sure she has a snack before bed.
Click to expand...

Hi,

I'm not sure from your post (or profile.) what type of diabetic your wife is?
Does your wife inject a long acting insulin like lantus/Glargine before retiring to bed?? This stuff has a working profile that can peak (for some people.) & greadually tail off over an 18 to 24 hour period...? The danger zones that can happen during the night are 2 to 3am & or 6 to7 am..
A long acting snack if around 6mmol can match this basal insulin profile overnight. But it would be worthwhile knowing your wife's figures are during the day??

Get her to join up? Suss it out for herself.. Personally? You don't need to understand it. Your wife does.. ;)
 
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