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Going to bed with sugar at 9 but waking up with levels of 16. Can someone please help me?

T

Tessy89

Member
Hi all. I've been going to bed wirhh decent sugars, checking them at least 2 hours after any food. But then I wake up with them at 16, with no food in between. I'm at such a loss! I don't sleep well, constantly waking, can that be the cause?
 
Are you still taking Humulin M3? If so it's a mixed insulin, it is unlikely to match the food you are eating for dinner. You need a referral to a specialist because of your age to test for type 1. Any progress on a referral?
 
Hi there, sorry I should mention I'm on the humulin mix 50/50 blue pen. It's been great during the day and I go to sleep fine still but the mornings are getting worse.
 
Tessy89 said:
I'm at such a loss! I don't sleep well, constantly waking, can that be the cause?
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Well, that won't help, but I suspect it's more likely that you can't cope with the sugar that your liver pumps out in the morning to help you get up and active. I agree with @ert that you need a specialist referral, GPs are clueless about medication for anyone who isn't a vanilla T2.
 
I have not slept well case of insomnia last night and my bg was 9.5 before bed, at 1pm was 8.5 and did not change when I was up at 7.30am. Did not help I was ill the night before and very little sleep.
 
EllieM said:
Well, that won't help, but I suspect it's more likely that you can't cope with the sugar that your liver pumps out in the morning to help you get up and active. I agree with @ert that you need a specialist referral, GPs are clueless about medication for anyone who isn't a vanilla T2.
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I feel at a loss because I've already seen my gp and a specialist and they only told me to up my evening insulin by two units. It's frustrating waking up with such high sugars, I feel like I can't even eat when they are that high.
 
Tessy89 said:
Hi all. I've been going to bed wirhh decent sugars, checking them at least 2 hours after any food. But then I wake up with them at 16, with no food in between. I'm at such a loss! I don't sleep well, constantly waking, can that be the cause?
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Well, lack of sleep is one of the factors affecting your blood glucose, but given that there are so many other factors (see https://diabetesresearchconnection.org/42-factors-affect-blood-glucose/ ) I don't think any can say if that is the reason.

One point I would make is the 'two hours after' time limit should not be take as absolute and it would be worthwhile to check your levels during the night.

One of the things I discovered when I got my FreeStyle Libre was that certain foods caused me to spike more than four hours after eating it. That is when I realised that they were occasions when I had a late meal and went to sleep with blood sugars levels that I thought were OK, but I was actually spending most of the night high.
 
bulkbiker said:
And pretty clueless for most of them too!
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Great HBa1c readings there. Mine was 84 when GP rang me last Thursday up from 55 in October last year. He basically said it was my fault. I was so angry. I said its not a deliberate act on my part. he prescribed metformin but then the DN rang and said I could have 3 months to try and get it down by tweaking my diet and losing weight. I have joined the NHS low carb programme. this mornings readings on waking were 8.3. 8.6 after breakfast, 7 at 1pm so will check 2 hours after lunch and see what I get
 
pinkjude said:
Great HBa1c readings there. Mine was 84 when GP rang me last Thursday up from 55 in October last year. He basically said it was my fault. I was so angry. I said its not a deliberate act on my part. he prescribed metformin but then the DN rang and said I could have 3 months to try and get it down by tweaking my diet and losing weight. I have joined the NHS low carb programme. this mornings readings on waking were 8.3. 8.6 after breakfast, 7 at 1pm so will check 2 hours after lunch and see what I get
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Check out the www.dietdoctor.com website for some great low carb recipes too.
 
I have started the low carb programme but my level jumped from 7 to 9 2 hours post lunch. Is there something I can do to help to get it down inbetween readings?
 
Levels are not going to be static all day. A rise of 2.2 isn’t too bad. What was lunch? You didn’t become diabetic overnight. You aren’t going to get normal levels overnight. A phrase much quoted in here is that it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

exercise such as walking is often beneficial to lower levels. Many find resistance and weight based exercise good too as lean muscle takes more glucose up. But some people find even though it helps long term short term there’s a bit of rise before the benefit. Don’t panic if this is the case.

dehydration won’t help any function in your body including bgl. Especially when lowering carbs be aware of sufficient fluids. (Which means checking electrolytes are ok too).
 
Usually my levels settle all day between 5 and the highest I've seen if I eat really bad is 12. But they are reaching super high after janky sleep. I have been testing at all hours during the nights as well and it all seems fine until I wake up after 5ish hours of sleep.
 
Daibell said:
Hi. I don't think you have told us whether you are T2 or T1? Do you have excess weight and what sort of diet are you having?
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Hi! I've never actually been told but they said perhaps type one or MOBI since I got diagnosed at 15. Unfortunately I am carrying weight now as I've developed a type of arthritis but I am still active!
 
Tessy89 said:
I have been testing at all hours during the nights as well and it all seems fine until I wake up after 5ish hours of sleep.
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Hmm, sounds a lot like the dawn phenomena to me. Usually when mine do that I just have a very small dose of bolus insulin when they get to about 9 but I self fund a dexcom that has alarms so I can do that. For what it's worth I believe Abbott have a free trial for freestyle libre 2 in the UK at the moment so you could have a look on their website and apply for one. That would give you a lot of info about what is happening to your levels.

Good luck.
 
Tessy89 said:
Hi! I've never actually been told but they said perhaps type one or MOBI since I got diagnosed at 15. Unfortunately I am carrying weight now as I've developed a type of arthritis but I am still active!
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You need to know what exactly type you are, this is important.
If Type 1 there are different options available than for a Type 2 for instance, MODY is a bit of an unknown though so don't know what options there are for that.

You may also be better suited to a basal/bolus regime than mixed insulin (its the advised thing for most T1's I believe)
 
Should I be asking why no one for years has told me what type diabetic I am? I am baffled why no one has. Including the specialist.

I believe the humulin 50 50 mix is a mix between slow and fast acting right? I really do appreciate everyone's reply. I am going to ask my doctor again to refer me.

Would it be beneficial to wake up and take a small amount of insulin?
 
EllieM said:
Hmm, sounds a lot like the dawn phenomena to me. Usually when mine do that I just have a very small dose of bolus insulin when they get to about 9 but I self fund a dexcom that has alarms so I can do that. For what it's worth I believe Abbott have a free trial for freestyle libre 2 in the UK at the moment so you could have a look on their website and apply for one. That would give you a lot of info about what is happening to your levels.

Good luck.
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Thank you so much for this information about the free style, I have just signed up and I hope this could help me. I am desperate here.
 
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