Type 1 I can't wake up to my alerts.

[edison-sava]

Hello, I’m a 12 year old that has had diabetes for 9 years and my alerts go off in the middle of the night. I have ADHD and ADD, I also have sleeping issues so I’ll usually fall asleep around 11-3 pm/am. I NEED a new room, right now I share one with my loud messy 8 year old brother. I hate my desk and my bed and just everything about my room call me ungrateful because maybe I am but that’s not my concern. My parents wake up to my alerts and that’s annoying to them, we have a room downstairs they want to move into but can’t because they need to go to my alerts and 1. They won’t hear it. 2. No one wants to walk up 18 steps at 4 am. I have my dexcom at the loudest setting (I recently broke my phone so I’m using the CGM dexcom gives you) and I still don’t wake up. Making it louder will not work because once my smoke alarm went off and it is LOUDDDD and I didn’t move an inch. I need solutions to move out of my room and not wake up my parents I AM BEGGING YOU help me! Thanks, Edison. P.S. I'm using omnipod and dexcom.

 

[Marie 2]

Oh gosh, I'm sorry you are having such a rough time. There are some aps I believe that make louder noises, but if you don't wake to a smoke alarm I don't think that would be the answer.

The best solution I can think of is to work at better control so you don't drop too low and then your alarm doesn't need to go off? Think of it as a project with a goal at the end, and the goal would be getting your own room. Your parents could still respond to a low if needed, but they might not mind the stairs, if it's only once a month. You could use a baby monitor in your room so they could hear the alarms in your room. Dexcom has a share program here in the US so they can get the reading on their phone, but maybe you don't have it in the UK? So think of the possible prize at the end of better control.

I don't know what part you play in your dosing but you can can help with what it takes to control your levels. Keeping proper track of the food you eat and the insulin you need, what makes you go low etc. So start learning and start keeping track, how many carbs, how much insulin and did you drop that night or were you okay? I bet you know some of the stuff that is making your control more difficult.

There is a closed loop system pump that hopefully will be available to you at some point. It helps automatically adjust your basal insulin dose lower when it's program thinks you are going to drop too low. It is supposed to help stop some of the dropping too much. But it still needs the basics to work right. So start trying to learn what is causing the lows.

 

[EllieM]

Hi @edison-sava and welcome to the forums.

Dexcom has a share program here in the US so they can get the reading on their phone, but maybe you don't have it in the UK?

I'm in New Zealand and my husband gets loud alerts when I go really low via the share app.

I second the suggestion to make the lows rare enough so that your parents don't need to be woken often. Another possibility is a vibrating alert. Do you think you'd be woken by a vibration instead of an audible alert?

Maybe a hypo dog would be a solution? (Thinking outside the box here but some dogs have been trained to respond to hypos and I have this (probably unrealistic) image of you being woken by a dog carrying glucose tablets, a bit like a St Bernard rescuing skiers in an avalanch).

Seriously, in your position I would work on reducing the number of hypos.

Good luck.

 

[Jaylee]

Hello, I’m a 12 year old that has had diabetes for 9 years and my alerts go off in the middle of the night. I have ADHD and ADD, I also have sleeping issues so I’ll usually fall asleep around 11-3 pm/am. I NEED a new room, right now I share one with my loud messy 8 year old brother. I hate my desk and my bed and just everything about my room call me ungrateful because maybe I am but that’s not my concern. My parents wake up to my alerts and that’s annoying to them, we have a room downstairs they want to move into but can’t because they need to go to my alerts and 1. They won’t hear it. 2. No one wants to walk up 18 steps at 4 am. I have my dexcom at the loudest setting (I recently broke my phone so I’m using the CGM dexcom gives you) and I still don’t wake up. Making it louder will not work because once my smoke alarm went off and it is LOUDDDD and I didn’t move an inch. I need solutions to move out of my room and not wake up my parents I AM BEGGING YOU help me! Thanks, Edison. P.S. I'm using omnipod and dexcom.

Hi @edison-sava ,

Welcome to the forum.

How often (approximately.) on a weekly basis are you having these night hypos triggering your alarm?
Do you test with a meter when woken by your parents? (To confirm these lows.)

You & your parents should speak with your healthcare team regarding minimising your night lows.
There could be a possibility you’re getting a little too “comfortable” with them to understand something is wrong and wake up?

Best wishes regarding finding your own room space solution.

 

[edison-sava]

Oh gosh, I'm sorry you are having such a rough time. There are some aps I believe that make louder noises, but if you don't wake to a smoke alarm I don't think that would be the answer.

The best solution I can think of is to work at better control so you don't drop too low and then your alarm doesn't need to go off? Think of it as a project with a goal at the end, and the goal would be getting your own room. Your parents could still respond to a low if needed, but they might not mind the stairs, if it's only once a month. You could use a baby monitor in your room so they could hear the alarms in your room. Dexcom has a share program here in the US so they can get the reading on their phone, but maybe you don't have it in the UK? So think of the possible prize at the end of better control.

I don't know what part you play in your dosing but you can can help with what it takes to control your levels. Keeping proper track of the food you eat and the insulin you need, what makes you go low etc. So start learning and start keeping track, how many carbs, how much insulin and did you drop that night or were you okay? I bet you know some of the stuff that is making your control more difficult.

There is a closed loop system pump that hopefully will be available to you at some point. It helps automatically adjust your basal insulin dose lower when it's program thinks you are going to drop too low. It is supposed to help stop some of the dropping too much. But it still needs the basics to work right. So start trying to learn what is causing the lows.[/QUOTE

Hi @edison-sava and welcome to the forums.



I'm in New Zealand and my husband gets loud alerts when I go really low via the share app.

I second the suggestion to make the lows rare enough so that your parents don't need to be woken often. Another possibility is a vibrating alert. Do you think you'd be woken by a vibration instead of an audible alert?

Maybe a hypo dog would be a solution? (Thinking outside the box here but some dogs have been trained to respond to hypos and I have this (probably unrealistic) image of you being woken by a dog carrying glucose tablets, a bit like a St Bernard rescuing skiers in an avalanch).

Seriously, in your position I would work on reducing the number of hypos.

Good luck.

im sorry i shouldve mentioned, i live in the us and ive been looping for 6 years and we use the share system, thank you tho!

 

[edison-sava]

Hi @edison-sava and welcome to the forums.



I'm in New Zealand and my husband gets loud alerts when I go really low via the share app.

I second the suggestion to make the lows rare enough so that your parents don't need to be woken often. Another possibility is a vibrating alert. Do you think you'd be woken by a vibration instead of an audible alert?

Maybe a hypo dog would be a solution? (Thinking outside the box here but some dogs have been trained to respond to hypos and I have this (probably unrealistic) image of you being woken by a dog carrying glucose tablets, a bit like a St Bernard rescuing skiers in an avalanch).

Seriously, in your position I would work on reducing the number of hypos.

Good luck.

my parents have thought ab a dog, but they think its too mcuh responsibility.;

 

[PaulAshby]

Hello, I’m a 12 year old that has had diabetes for 9 years and my alerts go off in the middle of the night. I have ADHD and ADD, I also have sleeping issues so I’ll usually fall asleep around 11-3 pm/am. I NEED a new room, right now I share one with my loud messy 8 year old brother. I hate my desk and my bed and just everything about my room call me ungrateful because maybe I am but that’s not my concern. My parents wake up to my alerts and that’s annoying to them, we have a room downstairs they want to move into but can’t because they need to go to my alerts and 1. They won’t hear it. 2. No one wants to walk up 18 steps at 4 am. I have my dexcom at the loudest setting (I recently broke my phone so I’m using the CGM dexcom gives you) and I still don’t wake up. Making it louder will not work because once my smoke alarm went off and it is LOUDDDD and I didn’t move an inch. I need solutions to move out of my room and not wake up my parents I AM BEGGING YOU help me! Thanks, Edison. P.S. I'm using omnipod and dexcom.

Not a good situation Edison, do you read your BG before you go to bed, hopefully you do but see if there's a pattern of readings at this time and try to minimise the low BG with correct long lasting carb intake, it's difficult but you can control this,
all the best

 

[bluntneedle]

Hello, I’m a 12 year old that has had diabetes for 9 years and my alerts go off in the middle of the night. I have ADHD and ADD, I also have sleeping issues so I’ll usually fall asleep around 11-3 pm/am. I NEED a new room, right now I share one with my loud messy 8 year old brother. I hate my desk and my bed and just everything about my room call me ungrateful because maybe I am but that’s not my concern. My parents wake up to my alerts and that’s annoying to them, we have a room downstairs they want to move into but can’t because they need to go to my alerts and 1. They won’t hear it. 2. No one wants to walk up 18 steps at 4 am. I have my dexcom at the loudest setting (I recently broke my phone so I’m using the CGM dexcom gives you) and I still don’t wake up. Making it louder will not work because once my smoke alarm went off and it is LOUDDDD and I didn’t move an inch. I need solutions to move out of my room and not wake up my parents I AM BEGGING YOU help me! Thanks, Edison. P.S. I'm using omnipod and dexcom.

Hi, I have an apple smart watch that's linked by bluetooth to my PDM. It vibrates on my wrist and wakes me up, maybe a solution for you. Take care!