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Bad night's sleep affecting BG readings ?

Sam50

Well-Known Member
Messages
228
Location
West Sussex
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Has anyone else had experience of a bad night's sleep (or rather being awake for several hours during the night) resulting in higher than usual readings the next day ?

Hubby was getting 9.5 post meals on Friday (good for him) but last night was awake for ages ( ongoing pain in his side was bothering him) and today has hovered around 13 post meals.

Has eaten low carb all day. two eggs for breakfast, post brekkie reading 13.3. Chicken, tomato and cheese with Greek yogurt and raspberries for lunch. Went for a walk, came back and tested and was 13

After spending a chunk of the wee hours reading Dr Fung he is now convinced to stop using sweeteners, stop drinking Diet lemonade and cut his carbs further
am aware that cortisol spikes BG and we also learnt at the weekend that out neighbour is dying so this could just be a lousy day....

thoughts anyone ?
 
It normally affects the morning fasting level the most, but of course if you start a meal higher than normal you will end a meal higher than normal, and so it can go on. Not just a restless night, but also pain will affect matters, and if the pain continues during the day so may the higher levels. The stress over a neighbour dying probably won't help.

Well done to your hubby for reading up on matters and making such a great decision.
 
I suffer with disturbed sleep and, yes, my bg levels are directly affected for up to 48 hours after a bad night. Nothing I eat or even if I have not eaten seems to bring the numbers down so all I can do is note it in my diary and wait for normal readings. I also suffer with chronic pain and if the two collide then the rise is small but not insignificant.
I have returned to yoga breathing excercises I learned over forty years ago but it is too early to see if this helps but I figure it can't do any harm.
 
There are many things that affect BG.
Food is the obvious one which we all track and is relatively easy to measure. But there is also exercise, illness, pain, drugs, stress, even our bodies fighting bugs before we get to experience them in any other way.
So, sure, a bad night's sleep can affect BG. Either because of the lack of sleep or the reason for the lack of sleep.

If you don't have diabetes, your body can react and produce the right amount of insulin to keep this under control.
If you do have diabetes, that bit doesn't work so well.
 
Usually sleep follows a cycle that if your body and brain is relatively happy, then you get a restful sleep.
However as those before have said many things could and will disrupt that cycle.
Having high blood glucose levels is one of them.
Also fluctuating blood levels is a cycle breaker in the description you gave.
In my experience, not being in control would make you wake up with the sweats and other symptoms, you would not get back to sleep and you would be tired and lethargic for the next day or next couple of days. It is awful.
Does he have bad dreams that wake him up?
Sleeping tablets wouldn't help either.
Eating your last meal early enough for it to digest, not having caffeinated drinks will help. Going for a half hours walk after his last meal will help. If you have intolerance to foods, then this could be the cause and only your glucometer will tell you what is happening to him.

If he persists with the low carb diet, this should alleviate the symptoms and his sleep will be less disruptive.
 
Thanks, it's good to know other's thoughts and I think it's only (after much gentle nagging) that I've got him to start testing more frequently otherwise he would probably have thought his BG was the same as when he tested on Friday !
I'm pretty sure that if disrupted sleep can affect BP and mood generally that it probably also affects BG. Bodies are supposed to work in harmony. At least I know he is eating the right things and feel like I've won a minor battle with the sweeteners
 
up to 48 hours ?! wow-well I have to say that does fit with Dr Fung's theories on how cortisol elevates BG. good luck with the yoga breathing exercises, it certainly ought to help x
 
I'm sure the bad sleeping problems are the root of all of his issues. By his own admission he's a bit of a control freak so if he wakes up at night (which happens frequently) he will often go and watch TV (I know-I have told him this is a bad idea) or read for a couple of hours until he feels sleepy again. Whilst this has meant that he has learnt a lot about diabetes/about The Obesity Code but probably hasn't helped his BG levels.

I'm hoping he can re-set this pattern when we go away on holiday x
 
No he doesn't wake up with the sweats (his T2 was asymptomatic) not does he suffer from bad dreams. Mostly his sleep is disturbed by pain from his side, being too warm or just waking up needing the loo/a drink and then the brain 'kicking in' and starting to think about all the stuff that needs doing. Being too wired basically.

I've got a herbal supplement which is meant to help you wind down before sleep and having a bath before bed has helped. We have generally finished eating by 7pm and he is committed to persisting with the low carb diet.

thank you everyone for your helpful and reassuring replies x
 
I am a chronic insomniac.
Also sleep deprived when I have mania due to bipolar
So my bs levels are varied in the first bs reading in the morning
 
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