Don't laugh (or do), why am I going low every time I share a bed with my friend?

[Antje77]

I was just on the phone with a friend, and she mentioned oxytocin (the 'cuddle hormone') as a possibility.
I'm not a rat, and any oxytocin I had was endogenous, not exogenous, but she may be onto something here!
(Hoi Inge, good to see you! And good thinking as well!)

Effect of oxytocin on the blood glucose level in rat | ECE2011 | 13th European Congress of Endocrinology | Endocrine Abstracts

www.endocrine-abstracts.org

 

[Antje77]

I was just on the phone with a friend, and she mentioned oxytocin (the 'cuddle hormone') as a possibility.

Inge did some more googling and came up with this:

Oxytocin in metabolic homeostasis: implications for obesity and diabetes management

Oxytocin was once understood solely as a neuropeptide with a central role in social bonding, reproduction, parturition, lactation and appetite regulation. Recent evidence indicates that oxytocin enhances glucose uptake and lipid utilization in adipose ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I suppose that one needs a thread of its own, lots of interesting diabetes related stuff there. And very possibly relevant in my mysterious lows when spending the night with my neighbour.

 

[Jaylee]

As someone with a Y chromosome sharing a bed consistently for the last 29 years.
Alcohol is the “variant” I blame on going low?

In the “courting phase?” & I’ve been around prior.
I’d blame the “boogie” on taking the eye off the “ball” if going high with the diabetes on a little “liver dump” with the whole “gig at a new venue…”

The trick is not to endeavour on the life changing events of procreation. If you are not ready…

Good luck.
Hopefully this should settle down as it becomes a regular event?

 

[Antje77]

Alcohol is the “variant” I blame on going low?

I don't think it is, alcohol in similar quantities happens in my life without sharing a bed sometimes as well, and it has never led to hypos.

The trick is not to endeavour on the life changing events of procreation. If you are not ready…

Thanks for the warning. Definitely not ready for procreation and taking measures to prevent such things!

Good luck.
Hopefully this should settle down as it becomes a regular event?

Thanks. I hope it will, both the settling down and it becoming a regular event. In my experience, many new things (gym, cold water swimming) spectacularly mess up BG in the beginning and then settle down, it might be just the same with this.

 

[Antje77]

My hospital has the option to send a message to your specialist, so I did with this diabetic riddle.
I made it very clear it's in no way urgent and to only look into it if she had some spare time on her hands, but that I thought she might find it interesting.

I gave her the short version and a link to this thread, very useful that non members can read along as well.

So, hi Ilse, nice to see you here again!
I hope you've enjoyed the thread and I'm curious to your thoughts.
See you next year.

 

[Antje77]

New data, and I managed to avoid lows and alarms!

I slept with my neighbour on two subsequent nights, friday and saturday.
Circumstances over the day were very similar: I had worked on both days, both days had a very low carb evening meal, last bolus had been taken in the early evening so no IOB by the time we went to bed, slightly more alcohol on friday but not that much of a difference.

What was different was the sleeping itself: on friday lots of playful sexual activity and not enough sleep, on saturday we were both very tired and mainly slept cuddled up together for almost 10 hours.
On both days I had some crisps before bed to prevent lows, going to bed at around 8 mmol/l, a number for which I would normally correct even if I hadn't eaten something.

Very similar graphs on both nights, showing that sleeping with my neighbour drops me with or without sex.
I suppose this leaves us with only two suspects, having more or less ruled out most other possible causes.
It's either touch, or feeling completely safe and relaxed.

(More details on both nights, copied from another thread to keep all info on the matter in one place):

Friday night:
That first drop at 8 pm was insulin, but the second one at around 9:30 was definitely caused by playful touch after dinner.
With a fingerprick it dropped to 3.8, and now being pretty sure I'd drop again during the night, I had a good portion of crisps without insulin.
On a normal night this would have likely raised me to at least 12, and would have kept me above 8 all night.

It was a bit scary to go to bed with that rising line and no insulin, but the cuddling and sleeping intertwined with my neighbour did it's magic trick again, with the crisps preventing me from dropping too far. No alarms!

Who would have thought I'd ever need to eat crisps for health reasons.

No Foot on the floor effect either this morning, I'm still sitting at 5.0, no insulin. All week this week I've needed 4 to 6 units for getting out of bed.

Saturday night:
An unplanned evening ith my neighbour followed, including a sleepover.
I was a bit higher before bed than the day before, so I pulled the same trick with the crisps but with only a handful of them, and it worked again!
We were both very tired, so this time it was mainly a very long night of sleeping together, no other activities.
Which means more data on the lows!
Sleeping together still dropped me in a way that wouldn't have happened had I slept alone, so the effect must be caused by touching or by feeling completely safe and relaxed, and not by any 'exercise'. I'll add my findings to the thread I started on the subject, this is getting more interesting by the week!
It's only N=1 but I think it will be rather hard to find a large group of diabetics to replicate my experiments.

 

[ElenaP]

New data, and I managed to avoid lows and alarms!

I slept with my neighbour on two subsequent nights, friday and saturday.
Circumstances over the day were very similar: I had worked on both days, both days had a very low carb evening meal, last bolus had been taken in the early evening so no IOB by the time we went to bed, slightly more alcohol on friday but not that much of a difference.

What was different was the sleeping itself: on friday lots of playful sexual activity and not enough sleep, on saturday we were both very tired and mainly slept cuddled up together for almost 10 hours.
On both days I had some crisps before bed to prevent lows, going to bed at around 8 mmol/l, a number for which I would normally correct even if I hadn't eaten something.

Very similar graphs on both nights, showing that sleeping with my neighbour drops me with or without sex.
I suppose this leaves us with only two suspects, having more or less ruled out most other possible causes.
It's either touch, or feeling completely safe and relaxed.

View attachment 67275


(More details on both nights, copied from another thread to keep all info on the matter in one place):

These activities seem to be good for you, whether it is the 'exercise' or you being more confident in going to sleep with lower readings because you have another person with you, does not matter. It is still excellent.

 

[flonvic]

New data, and I managed to avoid lows and alarms!

I slept with my neighbour on two subsequent nights, friday and saturday.
Circumstances over the day were very similar: I had worked on both days, both days had a very low carb evening meal, last bolus had been taken in the early evening so no IOB by the time we went to bed, slightly more alcohol on friday but not that much of a difference.

What was different was the sleeping itself: on friday lots of playful sexual activity and not enough sleep, on saturday we were both very tired and mainly slept cuddled up together for almost 10 hours.
On both days I had some crisps before bed to prevent lows, going to bed at around 8 mmol/l, a number for which I would normally correct even if I hadn't eaten something.

Very similar graphs on both nights, showing that sleeping with my neighbour drops me with or without sex.
I suppose this leaves us with only two suspects, having more or less ruled out most other possible causes.
It's either touch, or feeling completely safe and relaxed.

View attachment 67275


(More details on both nights, copied from another thread to keep all info on the matter in one place):

Wow!

 

[MrsA2]

Very similar graphs on both nights, showing that sleeping with my neighbour drops me with or without sex.

I just think you need do lots and lots and lots more testing

 

[Antje77]

I just think you need do lots and lots and lots more testing

What a good idea!
Happy to give up some more sleep for scientific purposes...

 

[Melgar]

You are so scientific with all this amorous frivolity . I'm guessing you need a spread sheet for all your 'in the field' data. Controlled samples and all that malarkey . Joking apart, it's really interesting stuff.

Ed to say I have never figured out how to get emojis into my text. Not the ones on here, but the standard ones I see people inserting. (Right there I need a perplexed emoji) lol

 

[Antje77]

You are so scientific with all this amorous frivolity . I'm guessing you need a spread sheet for all your 'in the field' data. Controlled samples and all that malarkey . Joking apart, it's really interesting stuff.

The more I'm looking into it and recording my findings, the more interesting it gets. Of course helped by the joking and laughing triggered by the subject.

Ed to say I have never figured out how to get emojis into my text. Not the ones on here, but the standard ones I see people inserting. (Right there I need a perplexed emoji) lol

Do you use the forum app or your browser?
I don't use the app so I can't help you with that, but on my computer they're right here:

And on my phone (using Google Chrome as my browser on a Samsung) they are hidden behind the 3 dots:

 

[Lamont D]

Further to my ramblings earlier in the thread. .......
I have remembered some certain rules for professional footballers.
Go to sleep early, no alcohol, no junk food, no meds unless it's a mild painkillers for a knock.
no sharing of your bed and definitely no sex! Not even you know..!!!!!!
The more affluent clubs, take their players to a hotel the night before, even for a home fixture.
This is to improve performance. As the hormones can be counter productive to longevity of stamina and peak of fitness.
On the other side of this
There has been studies that you sleep more peaceful afterwards..

You know there are drugs to improve performance. Notably the blue pill.
On the other hand, you could use what the British army used. To make you less available.

What fun!

 

[Melgar]

The more I'm looking into it and recording my findings, the more interesting it gets. Of course helped by the joking and laughing triggered by the subject.

Do you use the forum app or your browser?
I don't use the app so I can't help you with that, but on my computer they're right here:

View attachment 67301
And on my phone (using Google Chrome as my browser on a Samsung) they are hidden behind the 3 dots:

View attachment 67302

Thanks @Antje77 I have never figured out the app. I do have it on my iphone, but whenever I go into the forum it's always a few days behind. Probably something I'm doing. I use my Mac's browser. The forum emojis work when I am writing a post, but they don't work if I'm replying to someone. Like, if I send you a laughing emoji my reply to you will not send. It says something has gone wrong. I like emojis because sometimes words can lack emotion. So I remain emoji-less lol. I'll check out your suggestions

You are definitely onto something. It's very interesting. Making it amusing is always engaging lol.

 

[jjraak]

Thanks @Antje77 I have never figured out the app. I do have it on my iphone, but whenever I go into the forum it's always a few days behind. Probably something I'm doing. I use my Mac's browser. The forum emojis work when I am writing a post, but they don't work if I'm replying to someone. Like, if I send you a laughing emoji my reply to you will not send. It says something has gone wrong. I like emojis because sometimes words can lack emotion. So I remain emoji-less lol. I'll check out your suggestions

You are definitely onto something. It's very interesting. Making it amusing is always engaging lol.

I use the webpage on my mobile.
Dark mode.

I also find that an issue usually.

(Never noticed it being a difference between posting original or replying, tbh
Might have to keep an eye out for that.)

I Write the post, add an emoji, then it won't post....aagghh..

I have found a workaround is to post WITHOUT emoji.

Then go back and edit post inserting one emoji

Occasionally it takes them all, but most time a 2nd emoji gets the same error message .

A fine reason to experiment @Antje77 .

And btw @Melgar & @lamont.

Be brave @Antje77
Humanity & diabetics salute you for your sacrifices for the common good .

 

[Lainie71]

"feeling completely safe and relaxed" does it for me. Any sexy time and my bg goes up, that doesn't stop me though its all good for the soul

 

[Antje77]

Thanks @Antje77 I have never figured out the app. I do have it on my iphone, but whenever I go into the forum it's always a few days behind. Probably something I'm doing.

Just delete the app from your phone and use your phone browser, works pretty well.
I tried the app once and deleted it again within the hour, didn't understand it at all.

 

[Hopeful34]

I use the webpage on my mobile.

I also find that an issue usually.

(Never noticed it being a difference between posting original or replying, tbh
Might have to keep an eye out for that.)

I Write the post, add an emoji, then it won't post....aagghh..

Just delete the app from your phone and use your phone browser, works pretty well.
I tried the app once and deleted it again within the hour, didn't understand it at all.

I've never installed the app, but have got the same issue on both android phone and PC.

 

[Ushthetaff]

If you call each other “honey“ maybe that’s the reason hehehe