another possibly silly question!

[squishychickfi]

I have heard about the dawn phenomenon - my question is - if you stay up until 3am to test your bloods - rather than going to bed and waking yourself at that time - will it give an accurate reading?

Also when does it finish - I tested my bloods at 9.30 am this morning (fasted) and they were not good - so was that the dawn phenomenon or are they really bad (for me!)

 

[catherinecherub]

I have heard about the dawn phenomenon - my question is - if you stay up until 3am to test your bloods - rather than going to bed and waking yourself at that time - will it give an accurate reading?

Also when does it finish - I tested my bloods at 9.30 am this morning (fasted) and they were not good - so was that the dawn phenomenon or are they really bad (for me!)

The dawn phenomenon occurs when you get up in the morning. It happens to non diabetics too and some people have developed strategies to lessen the effect on their blood sugars. Personally, the first reading of the day is the highest for me but it goes down 2 hrs after breakfast. If you skip breakfast then it usually takes even longer to descend. As to whether the reading was good or bad, what was it?

As for the 3.0a.m. reading, I cannot see why that would not be an accurate reading of your blood sugars at that time. This will not be the same as the DP, as this occurs after fasting and sleeping.

Hope this helps and hope I understood your questions :wink:

 

[phoenix]

If you stay up and particularly if you move around your glucose level may be very different to if you had gone to sleep. The only solution to night time testing is to use an alarm.
I've found that there can quite a bit of movement up and down during the night. (using a continuous monitor I'm finding that some nights my levels vary quite a lot, others nights there is hardly any movement)
http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/Articles/Diabetes-Definitions/dawn_phenomenon/
One other point is that blood glucose often rises between getting up and eating breakfast, energy is made available for activity. There may be quite a large differenct between your glucose on rising and a couple of hours later without food.

 

[squishychickfi]

thank you for that - hadn't thought about the moving about bit - only the not eating at night bit

so if I get up at say 8am and don't test my bloods until 9-10 and then eat will I still be in the dawn phenomenon or are my sugar levels really that high?

 

[IanD]

I have heard about the dawn phenomenon - my question is - if you stay up until 3am to test your bloods - rather than going to bed and waking yourself at that time - will it give an accurate reading?

Also when does it finish - I tested my bloods at 9.30 am this morning (fasted) and they were not good - so was that the dawn phenomenon or are they really bad (for me!)

Only you can tell us - the result of your research - e.g. bed time/on waking/after an hour...

This is where we are individuals. I get a reading around 5 when I get up, & I don't test again before I eat. I don't think I need to.

 

[squishychickfi]

This morning I got up early to drop son off on a day out - was so tired went back to bed and got up at 11.30 as I was feeling hungry! Took blood sugar then and it was down to 7.3 whereas this week if I test in the morning at about 9 it has been in the 9's - not sure what that means really - other than my sugar level is high anyway - but not sure now if I should eat early or late

 

[anniep]

Hi

I am effected by the DP

My waking bg at 6.30am hovers aroung 6.00, but by the time I eat breakfast at 8.00am it will be around 8, and if i don't eat it will keep rising to about 9 or 10 and stay there until 1.00pm ish.

If i eat a very low carb breakfast, it will stay around 8 and come down within 2 hours after food to the 6's again.