Timing Morning Test

hi Lucy.... for me I will test the same time every morning. But I am on insulin and I have to record my BGLs for my endocrinologist throughout each day. So I wake up and I'm testing on the dot at 5.30 am. I then have breakfast and I will test 2 hours later. Although for me I also test 3-4 hours after eating to get an idea when I need to eat again. But the usual routine for most people in the morning would be to do the fasting test, then the test 2 hours after eating.

Yes that confuses me as well. Luckily it doesn't matter with me cos I get up test then immediately (or within 10 mins) have breakfast. Also never clear to me if its the act of getting up or waking up that should determine when to do your fasting test.

well I got told by my endo to do the test the same time every morning for the fasting one if that helps but I'm not sure if it's just because I'm on insulin? But it's probably a good rule to stick to for consistency.

Hi,

I test every morning in bed when I wake up.

Once before lunch and then once again before dinner.

It really depends on your circumstances.
A type 2 on diet control would probably not test very often as they would know which food has an effect on their BG, where as someone on tablets or especially insulin may need to test more often. As a general rule, test every morning, pre lunch and post 2hrs lunch and same for dinner and once before bedtime.

I am on a low carb diet so sometimes I don't check my blood as I know what I eat will not have any effect on my sugar levels.

Morning tests just when you wake up aren't so accurate as your liver dumps glucagon to fuel you for the day so readings may be slightly high!

Readings just before breakfast is the one to go by.

Thanks

Type 2 for 5yrs 4mths
Metformin initially
Diet control at present

I test when I get up. Since I'm the only one interested in the results, I don't have to do it at all. However, I like to know I start the day at about 4.7. The number will go up a bit by bedtime. When I like to be about 5.5.
Hana

hanadr said:

I test when I get up. Since I'm the only one interested in the results, I don't have to do it at all. However, I like to know I start the day at about 4.7. The number will go up a bit by bedtime. When I like to be about 5.5.
Hana

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That's quite interesting cos with me its the other way round. Wake up mid 5's but normally am 4.whatever at bedtime. Strange how these things work out.

I've been told to test before I eat, so if I get up early cos I can't sleep I still don't test until I'm about to eat my breakfast

You will probably find that your morning levels rise by around 1 mmol/l in the first hour after waking up as your body dumps glucose to get you ready for the day. So if you are testing once you have got up, let the dog out, had a shower, etc... then your levels are going to be a little higher than if you rolled out of bed and got the glucose monitor out.

Yes that does happen I do sometimes test when I'm up and then when I eat and it's usually gone up a couple of mmols but nothing I can do about that!

Couple of things. I've checked, and if I test as soon as I wake up, it will be 0.5 or more lower than if I have a shower etc then test, even though I've not eaten. This is our liver topping us up for our expected coming exertions. That's why i think fasting BGs done at the doctors aren't very reflective of the real thing. Having said that, as you're on diet only Lucy, I personally don't think there's a great need to do morning tests all the time, assuming you're paying for them and you're not a millionaire. Fasting BGs now and then are useful in monitoring general progress, but if you hasve limited strips, I'd use them in testing how you react to different foods to fine tune your diet. More useful in my view than regular seeing Fasting BGs UNLESS they're changing lots OR unless it's part of checking reactions to previous night's food etc. What I'm trying to say is, use those precious strips to research food rather than just looking at fasting BGs. Remember, good old dawn phenomena variations might render those fasting BGs meaningless anyway.