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HELP! Acceptable levels at 'bed time'

poemagraphic

Well-Known Member
Messages
689
Location
North Norfolk
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
WIFI, Mobile phones. Smart metres... in fact anything 'smart'
I had a fairly low reading last night before bed... it was 6.8

I have been told "If it falls below 8" ... I should "Have a couple biscuits" which I did.
This morning my fbs upon waking was 9.1 That is the highest its been since I started testing daily 4 weeks ago.
So I retested this morning 30 mins later and it was down to 8. Still high.

My question is, what numbers are other's happy to 'go to bed' with?

I do fine all day then eat biscuits or have a banana before bed to raise my levels above 8.
I can't get my head round this yet?
Po
 
Recent records show that around 2 weeks ago I went to bed with BG of 4.1mmol on 1 particular night. But I am struggling with overnight highs so I'm not too worried about it lately. I woke up the next morning at 8.7mmol so worked out OK.

The majority of the time I am between 6 and 8mmol at bedtime and personally, ' I ' wouldn't take carbs in at this level unless I knew I was trending downwards.
 

Thanks that's helpful. So you went up from 4.1 to 8.7 overnight.
I am thinking more and more that I will just disregard that piece of advice and 'if' I am below 8 (which I would hope to be) I will not eat anything. I almost always have to get up to wee so I can always take my levels and see where its going... either up or down and take it from there.

The advice from the diabetic nurse seemed to be saying the insulin will put the brakes on and the biscuits will hit the accelerator... (My words NOT hers lol)

She also said I should be aiming for 70 g of carbs a meal (or words to that effect) I think I have got selective deafness

I have already dropped my evening dose of insulin from 10 units to 8 in the first three weeks as I kept hitting readings below 4 daily.
As I drive for a living that really is NOT good news!
Po
 
I’m happy to go to bed with anything above 4.5. Only if below 4.5 I will consider eating a small amount of carbs.

But that’s because I feel fairly confident that I will not have a drop during night. I’m low carbing type 1 and I do my evening injections (both bolus and basal) early in the evening around 7pm. I wouldn’t feel comfortable injecting right before going to sleep.

You are taking basal only with gliclazide (your profile says)?
 
Yes that is correct, I am.

I am feeling more happier now having read some replies this morning. Thank you for replying btw.

The general consensus is 'not' to be concerned with a reading less then 8 before bed.
Plus don't eat more carbs... unless its perhaps lower then say 5 which is unlikely as we have our evening meal around 19:00 and go to bed at 22:00.

I like you, am eating 'fairly' low carbs, eating around just under 100 carbs a day
 

Plenty of people do have overnight hypo's so don't please don't base your methodology on my experience.

If you're going to experiment then make small adjustments and only change 1 thing at a time - sounds obvious but worth a mention.
 
urbanracer said:
Plenty of people do have overnight hypo's so don't please don't base your methodology on my experience.

If you're going to experiment then make small adjustments and only change 1 thing at a time - sounds obvious but worth a mention.
Click to expand...

I fully concur.
Great advice, thank you very much
Po
 
I don’t know much about gliclazide. It’s always better to be on a safe side, that’s why doctors and nurses suggest higher bs levels. And no one wants to have a hypo at night, or day. It’s down to if you feel comfortable or not. I’m very careful with my insulin injection, making a change in a small amount is definitely yes.
 
With regards for me being on insulin I go about a 5-6 before bed and I have some toast and a cup of tea and that sustains me for the night but now and then I would have a hypo but that is because I may have had my teatime insulin later than normal but I have glucose to cover that and I take that when I need it and you will get to know the symptoms of a hypo and what you may have changed to have it but other than that you shouldn't worry if your sugars are lower than 8 just keep an eye on them and they will respond to how you feel and most people have different symptoms to insulin as mine are hunger and feeling that you can't concentrate on anything about you and you want to go to sleep and after that I feel like I have slurred speech like you have been on the drink for a few hours or so and after that I don't know as I haven't been that far before but I have been told it's not a place to be in and I don't want to be there if I can help it so I stay around where I said and then I take it from there
 

Thank you for replying Jordi

I have been below 4 during the day several times in the last month and feel no difference at all. I guess if went below 3 that might be a different story.

It is such a shame the nurse said never go to bed if you are below 8... have two or three rich tea biscuits!

Last night I was 6.5 before going to bed so I decided to go to bed anyway, knowing I would up for a wee and could take my levels then. I went down to 4.9 at 04:00, so I decided that I would just go back to sleep again.

When I awoke at 06:00 I had risen to 6.5 which I was quite pleased with.
I am going to look at lowering my carb intake, I just need to do some reading and understand the best way to begin.
Po
 
I lowered my carb intake and I still get the odd hypo during the night but being that low isn't that bad as I have been lower than that loads of times and I have to take it easy from a hypo but that takes a few hours and I am okay but you may also get the shakes which is normal with a hypo but that I can tell I'm low with my sugars and they are but I just use glucose gel or glucose tablets for it but sweets are just as good just don't eat a boat load as your sugars Will go through the roof or high and it will take a little while to get the sugar out of you but the glucose gel and tablets are around the right amount you need at one time and I sometimes use pure sugar in black tea and no milk as the milk will slow down the absorbing of the sugar and that is about what I use for hypos and to get my sugars up when they are down at 2.5 or around that and I have been lower than that before when I was first diagnosed and that I was at 1.9 so I was less instructed by a nurse then but now I can do more as I have had diabetes for 25 plus years now
 

That is excellent. It shows your liver is doing its job
 

I am most grateful for your insight Jordi. I drive for a living and take my levels every two hours I am finding it useful to see how the levels rise and fall throughout the day.
Po.
 
I aim for around five at bedtime. But then I do try to never go above 8 at all! Not everyone is as happy as me to do that, though.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
That is excellent. It shows your liver is doing its job
Click to expand...

Thanks for saying that... So many posters here understand what T2 is... and how to change the mindset of newbies like myself to a positive mind state rather than a "OMG! I am doomed!!!! " Because of uninformed 'experts' who do this for a living, and should know the reality and truths of T2 but still keep on regurgitating the misinformation they have been taught.

Thank god for 'diabetes.co.uk' and its friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive members.
Po
 
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