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Anyone Else Got This?

Nicola M

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Staff Member
Moderator
Messages
1,065
Location
Nottinghamshire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
This is rather strange or something I find strange. My hypo awareness is brilliant in the daytime I have always felt when I am going low even before I am actually low but during the night if I ever go low I NEVER wake up or am aware that I am low, I wear a libre so on the times I've scanned in the morning I've been low for a couple hours before then I've gone back up again. Does anyone else get this or had this where you have good daytime awareness but no night time awareness? Can I do anything to bring my night time awareness back as I used to have it when I was younger...
 
Yes, when my hypo awareness goes it's always the night time (or day time nap) that gives me issues first.
Only way I know to regain awareness is to run a bit higher for a while (eg my DSN told me to aim for blood sugars over 6).
What's your hbA1C?
 
Nicola M said:
I wear a libre so on the times I've scanned in the morning I've been low for a couple hours before then I've gone back up again.
Click to expand...
How confident are you that you're low when your libre says you are? It might be worth setting an alarm to double check with a glucose meter. You can also get add ons for the libre which make it send an alarm when you go low.... (I would do this if the libre worked for me, but unfortunately it doesn't agree with my body.)
 
Before I had my insulin pump I suffered horribly with night time hypos the entire night (3am tests to back this up and the hospital provided their own version of a libre for a week which also showed the same thing) it is one of the reasons amongst a few others as to why I got the pump. I'm yet to get my hba1c results back as I only went to hospital recently and had blood taken, libre predicts it to be 8.3% / 67mmol/mol. Not brilliant but I've been struggling in recent months only just starting to get a bit more on track. I've looked into a few add ons but none are cheap and I'm already paying out for the libre myself I don't think I'd realistic be able to afford that too @EllieM
 

Setting an alarm and doing a blood test is a good idea as sometimes the low readings are “compression lows” from lying on the libre. Best wishes, Leeanne
 
I am not so trust worthy of the libre during the night - i’ve had reported lows and when I checked on my meter i’ve been above 4 so not convinced on its accuracy, as Leanne says when you lie on it the compression can cause a ‘low’ the only way to know for sure is to set the alarm and check at 2am.
 
My night time awarness is carp with hypo's however my other half is now very good at spotting them. I don't use a pump but what I started doing is splitting my Lantus, which still experimenting with, not sure how to regain "your awarness" other than running high for a while or setting an alarm to check your self.
 
Hi @Nicola M,
I think it is not possible to really compare hypo awareness between night and daytime.
When asleep it took far longer for warning signs to wake me to a conscious level and by then the brain-related symptoms made it difficult for me to know what to do.
Also any observer is not as likely to be alert and awake to warn you of any change in you. Although restlessness, sweating, etc might bring a bed partner to alertness sooner rather than later as may the alarm on a glucose monitoring device but again how do you make any real comparison with daytime.?
Ok, what about evenings ? If you have had a sumptuous dinner and perhaps a little wine, are your senses going to be as honed as during the day? Otherwise it may vary.
Certainly my hypo awareness in the daytime improved once on an insulin pump but I cannot say that helped me recognises hypos at night. But importantly it reduced the number of hypos, at least those severe enough to wake me or my wife, at night.
 
Also put into mind that you might not actually be going low.

If you lay on the sensor for long enough it will give you false lows as you're changing the fat layer and interstitial fluid distribution.
 
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