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Night-time hypos

J

jan123

Active Member
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Can anybody advise please, my BS before bed was 5.9, I woke at around 5 sweating and did not have the energy to get out of bed and test my sugars, when I eventually rose at 7 with a thumping headache and a mouth like cotton wool I tested and they had gone up to 7.6, did I have a hypo and somehow my body release sugar to compensate, I am new to all of this insulin stuff and any advice would be gratefully received :)
 
Hi, It certainly sounds like you had a hypo and a liver dump/dawn phenomenon brought you out of it. You probably need to decrease your nightime insulin by a unit or two so you don't fall so low in the night. If you are not confident doing this yourself, you should mention it to your doctor/diabetes nurse and see what they recommend.

Good luck
 
Looking back at your previous posts, you've lost a bit of weight and are doing some more exercise. It may well be that you're becoming a bit more insulin sensitive or it might just be that you were more active during the day before the hypo. I note that you're on a mixed insulin so I don't have any experience about adjusting it. As Sid says if you haven't any experience/confidence you should ask your nurse about adjusting.
If it was a busy or unsual day, it might be just a one off event but if you are lower or about the same at bedtime you could eat a few carbs. Alternatively its good idea to do some very early morning (2.30-3.30am) checks to see whats actually happening to your levels overnight.
 
I have had Type 1 for 15 years and still sometimes struggle with night-time hypos. In particular, I struggled with them when I was a dancer and did a few hours of classes later in the day (say, 5-7pm) - this is called the 'lag effect': when exercise kicks in a bit later.

Anyway, I have learned to check my blood sugar before bed, and then 2 times in the night. When I was younger (and newer to diabetes) I would set my alarm for 3 or 4 am. Granted, this wasn't tough for me because I am a light sleeper, but also fall back asleep pretty quickly, so I understand this might be frustrating for most people. Nowadays, I drink a lot of water before bed to ensure I will wake up in the night to use the loo, and then check my blood sugars.

Reducing night time insulin is a good move (again, speak with a member of your team if you need help with this). At one point in my life I was giving 1 unit before bed and STILL going low. I ended up having a piece of toast and peanut butter, or a protein shake with fruit in it for some carbs, before bed. The protein really helped me get through the night.

Anyway, best of luck. I know from experience that night time lows can be very frightening (for you as well as your family/partner). Take good care and good luck!
 
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