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Does everyone night test?

L

Lorni

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Parent
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone, my 11 year old daughter was dx 5.5 weeks ago.
Our diabetic team has never asked us to night test, HOWEVER, on a Facebook page today, someone posted something on a diabetic page about DIB, and, if im honest, I was really upset by it. Basically, everyone was stating that you should ALWAYS night test to prevent this? But our diabetic team haven't mentioned this.
Everyone on the page said that every diabetic team should be explaining that everyone MUST night test.
What are everyone's comments on this?

Thank you x
 
Death in Bed syndrome is rare thankfully so don't worry too much about it, if your daughter is going to bed on good levels and waking on good levels without any hypo's during the night then there's no need to test, if you think she may be going hypo then it might be worth testing for a couple of night.
 
Thank you!
She's been going to bed on a 9 and waking up on a 5.
I'm just so worried about this death in bed thing, I feel like I'll be awake all night, every night for the rest of my life, I'm even thinking on sleeping in her bed with her! X
 
Lorni said:
Thank you!
She's been going to bed on a 9 and waking up on a 5.
I'm just so worried about this death in bed thing, I feel like I'll be awake all night, every night for the rest of my life, I'm even thinking on sleeping in her bed with her! X
Click to expand...

Your daughter is dropping by 4mmol, if you want have a chat with her DSN and they might suggest that you drop the basal dose by 1 unit so there's not such a big drop.

I hear a lot about these Facebook diabetes groups and most of it isn't good, maybe best keeping away from it as some people delight in scaring others and putting fear in their minds.
 
Thank you, yes, I deleted the group! It was too much too soon.
I spoke to the consultant yesterday, she's already dropped the units for breakfast lunch and dinner.
She had been going to bed on a 5 or 6 but the consultant said that was too low and she needs to go to bed on a 8 9 or 10. X
 
That's what DIB means - I though it was something to do with the Cubs.

I was advised to test at night right at the beginning. At my last hospital they pinned a note on the door, to the effect that I was doing my own bloods - night staff were to ask me for the bedtime figure and if it was less than 10(!!) they were to get me a sandwich and a tea with sugar. It worked on just the first night - subsequently the night team started at the other end of the corridor. I don't know if they even looked in on me..

These days I still test at bedtime with my fingers crossed that it's under 8 - in which case I allow myself my favourite meal of the day, 30g of Rice Krispies with 150ml Alpro Chocolate 'Milk' (Soya).

It's 10pm and going quite dark. I think I'll just nip out and dig part of the lawn up. Anything to get those glucose levels down
 
Yes I test every night was told that I had to test to make sure I was safe to go to sleep and wake up the next day - as in at a safe level to go to sleep so I won't drop to low in my sleep and not wake up.
 
Do you set an alarm and test during the night? X
 
I rarely test at night. I rely on having got my Basal right and getting my evening meal Bolus reasonably accurate and a bed-time test is superfluous unless I suspect I've made a mistake. DIB is surely extremely rare and only occurs when someone is wildly out of control or has other conditions or has had far too much alcohol.
 
Hi Lorni,

My 9 year old daughter was diagnosed 6 weeks ago. I have never tested her at night. Her nurse said I would only ever need to if she was feeling very unwell. I have also read about testing at night on various sites, some parents were testing every 2 hours!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Hi, my daughters previous hospital told us it wasn't necessary to night test, but since changing her care to another hospital I have night tested since last year. And it's a real eye opener, I test at around 11pm and again about 2.30-3am, all being well. By doing this we have achieved a hbac1c from 8.9% -6.7% in 8 months. So I will always night test.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Also my daughter is on pump and we have her basal rates set pretty accurately, but you still have the lows but don't forget the highs and correcting these is just as important. Good luck it's all still very new for you I'm 2 years in my daughters 7 now and still learning everyday.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
It's bad enough getting diabetes yourself in your 70s. Not sure I'd cope with either of my kids going down with it, and they're both in their 40s.

I have resorted to lecturing them.. Unlike me, they have a family history that includes diabetes.

Does that make sense? It's late and Burning Heart is blasting through my earphones...


J.
 
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