The fear

[Lynz84]

Guys, do any of you become afraid about your sugars when you are asleep? Ive been diabetic 7 years and in all that time ive had may 2 night hypos yet i set alarms to wake me every few hours as im so afraid of not waking up. I realise that this is extreme and wondered does anyone feel the same or have tips?

 

[urbanracer]

Guys, do any of you become afraid about your sugars when you are asleep? Ive been diabetic 7 years and in all that time ive had may 2 night hypos yet i set alarms to wake me every few hours as im so afraid of not waking up. I realise that this is extreme and wondered does anyone feel the same or have tips?

Nope. I have a philosophical view of life (and death), when your number's up, it's up. Besides, I need my beauty sleep darling.

 

[Lynz84]

Nope. I have a philosophical view of life (and death), when your number's up, it's up. Besides, I need my beauty sleep darling.

Lol I def do too trust me! Lol I dont know why ive become like this, mayb just habit now!

 

[urbanracer]

Lol I def do too trust me! Lol I dont know why ive become like this, mayb just habit now!

Well, stretch your alarm times out slowly and train yourself to sleep through the night. Just an idea.

 

[NoKindOfSusie]

Guys, do any of you become afraid about your sugars when you are asleep? Ive been diabetic 7 years and in all that time ive had may 2 night hypos yet i set alarms to wake me every few hours as im so afraid of not waking up. I realise that this is extreme and wondered does anyone feel the same or have tips?

I started waking up at 4am when I was having lots of trouble with lantus and never stopped doing it. Now I just zap the libre and go back to sleep, about one night in five I need to do something. It's OK if you don't have an early start, if I have an early start it is often 5.30 or 6.00 and you don't really get back to sleep and that is not great. If I am not totally happy when I go to sleep I might make it earlier.

No it isn't just you.

 

[EllieM]

I agree that having a cgm is a game changer there. I believe you can set them to alarm if you go too low (xdrip for libre can be rigged to do this?) so you should then be able to sleep undisturbed.
I was having some issues with hypos last year and panicked a bit when my husband wasn't home - he's rescued me from night time hypos in the past and I don't worry if he's there.

Unfortunately libre no longer works for me (reads LO all night with a blood sugar from my meter reading between 5 and 9, though on other days it will work and only under read by 2 ish), so am wondering whether I should self fund dexcom.

Went years and years and years without scary night time hypos when my HbA1C was in 7s - it's only when I run lower that they get more serious ....

 

[annliggins]

Guys, do any of you become afraid about your sugars when you are asleep? Ive been diabetic 7 years and in all that time ive had may 2 night hypos yet i set alarms to wake me every few hours as im so afraid of not waking up. I realise that this is extreme and wondered does anyone feel the same or have tips?

 

[mountaintom]

Wouldn’t it be better to eat a biscuit before bed time and give yourself a little bit more leeway?

 

[Lynz84]

Wouldn’t it be better to eat a biscuit before bed time and give yourself a little bit more leeway?

Hi mountaintom. No I dont like to do that as my sugars would go into double digits and not comfortable with long term issues that would arise from that. Im generally sitting in the high 6s or 7s for bed but just afraid they'll drop! Its just paranoia on my part

 

[Alison54321]

I had a very low blood sugar at 12.30 am one night. Since then I haven't been happy at all, with my basal insulin. I got Freestyle Libre, and split my Lantus dose, but I now see what an unbiddable beast Lantus is, for me, anyway. It always start going either too high, or too low at the witching hour.

This has seriously interfered with my sleep, but I've decided to switch to Levemir.

I don't think though, that it's a good idea to fear hypos that don't happen. very often. Knowledge is power, understand what your basal insulin does at night, and get some sleep.

 

[mountaintom]

Half a biscuit?

 

[mountaintom]

Hi mountaintom. No I dont like to do that as my sugars would go into double digits and not comfortable with long term issues that would arise from that. Im generally sitting in the high 6s or 7s for bed but just afraid they'll drop! Its just paranoia on my part

How many hours do you sleep?

 

[LooperCat]

Hi mountaintom. No I dont like to do that as my sugars would go into double digits and not comfortable with long term issues that would arise from that. Im generally sitting in the high 6s or 7s for bed but just afraid they'll drop! Its just paranoia on my part

Try a protein snack, like a piece of meat or cheese. That’ll give a very slow release through the night. I’d second the CGM, once you know what’s actually happening through the night, you can confidently either sleep through it, or make changes so that you can. Knowledge is power, here. I wake up once or twice in the night (never set alarms though), so I always scan if I do, and make corrections to nudge it into line if necessary.

 

[Lynz84]

How many hours do you sleep?

Hi mountaintom. Roughly get between 4-6hrs which isnt too bad!

 

[Lynz84]

Try a protein snack, like a piece of meat or cheese. That’ll give a very slow release through the night. I’d second the CGM, once you know what’s actually happening through the night, you can confidently either sleep through it, or make changes so that you can. Knowledge is power, here. I wake up once or twice in the night (never set alarms though), so I always scan if I do, and make corrections to nudge it into line if necessary.

Thanks Mel dCP. Must look into investing in a CGM. Would be a great help!

 

[LooperCat]

Thanks Mel dCP. Must look into investing in a CGM. Would be a great help!

What insulins are you taking?

 

[Lynz84]

What insulins are you taking?

Im on novorapid and toujeo. Toujeo has a 36hr profile so i think im just afraid any form of exercise or anything and im going to go low. I know its really silly! I just cant get out of the mindset!

 

[Alison54321]

Im on novorapid and toujeo. Toujeo has a 36hr profile so i think im just afraid any form of exercise or anything and im going to go low. I know its really silly! I just cant get out of the mindset!

No that isn't silly. I don't like the idea of Toujeo it just seems far too inflexible. It's a close friend of |Lantus, apparently.

I was reading about this yesterday, I can't find the link though, but night time hypos are more likely with Lantus, than with Levemir, which is why I've decided to go for the flexible option.

I don't know anything about Tresiba, what are people's experience of that?

 

[Lynz84]

No that isn't silly. I don't like the idea of Toujeo it just seems far too inflexible. It's a close friend of |Lantus, apparently.

I was reading about this yesterday, I can't find the link though, but night time hypos are more likely with Lantus, than with Levemir, which is why I've decided to go for the flexible option.

I don't know anything about Tresiba, what are people's experience of that?

Inflexible is exactly the word! I was hoping to change to levemir at my next review. Need something that reacts better than toujeo does!

 

[phdiabetic]

Yes I feel like this all the time. I have cgm but I'm still afraid. It's totally normal to worry about hypos! I don't have any advice really, just wanted to say you're not alone.