How To Prevent Low Blood Sugar At Night
Expert Reviewed Three Methods:Avoiding Triggers of Low Blood Sugar Levels at NightStabilizing Your Blood Sugar Levels with DietCoping with Low Blood Sugar Levels at NightCommunity Q&A Low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) can wake you up in the middle of the night with feelings of anxiousness, nausea, dizziness and hunger. Nighttime hypoglycemia is a common concern for Type 1 diabetics, since the pancreas no longer secretes insulin to compensate for the lows. Keeping track of your diet to ensure adequate protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats is equally important for anyone who is experiencing low blood sugar at night. If you are diabetic, it is important to monitor your blood sugar levels throughout the day and especially at night to prevent hypoglycemia. In addition, you should find a bedtime routine that is both comfortable and predictable while avoiding exercise, alcohol and other disruptions of your regular nighttime routine.[1] Continue reading >>
Hypoglycemia (low Blood Sugar)
Hypoglycemia occurs when the level of sugar in the blood is too low. It can also be called insulin shock or insulin reaction. Hypoglycemia is when the level of sugar in the blood is below 60 mg/dl. Check with your doctor or nurse to find out what blood sugar level is too low for you. Causes Taking too much insulin or oral medication Not eating all of your meals and snacks or delaying meals and snacks Doing more exercise than usual Onset Hypoglycemia can occur at any time. It is more likely to occur at peak times of insulin actions. It may occur during or after increased activity. It is more likely if you are late eating your food or reduce the amount that you eat. Signs and Symptoms Sweating Shaking Nervousness Hunger Dizziness Faintness Pounding heart Personality change Confused thinking Impatience Crankiness Numbness of lips and tongue Headache Blurred Vision Slurred or slow speech Convulsions Unconsciousness Treatment Immediately eat or drink something containing "quick acting" sugar. Some possibilities are: 1/2 to 3/4 cup fruit juice 1/2 to 3/4 cup regular soda pop 2-3 teaspoons sugar 10 gumdrops 5-7 lifesavers 2 tablespoons of raisins Over-the-counter sugar tablets or gel If your symptoms do not disappear in 15 minutes and/or your blood sugar remains less than 80, repeat the treatment. Repeat every 15 minutes until the blood sugar is greater than 80. If a reaction occurs at a time when you do not plan to eat your next meal or snack for more than 30 minutes, eat food containing starch and protein after you have taken a "quick acting" sugar source and begin to feel better. Foods containing starch and protein are necessary to help prevent another reaction. Examples of appropriate snacks may be: 6 saltine crackers 3 graham crackers 1/2 meat sandwich 1 slice toast and 1 Continue reading >>
Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar - Topic Overview
You may have these symptoms when your blood sugar has dropped below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). When you have had diabetes for many years, you may not always develop symptoms of mild low blood sugar. Some young children with diabetes cannot recognize symptoms of low blood sugar. Others can, but not every time. To be safe, the parents need to do a home blood sugar test whenever they suspect low blood sugar in a child. Symptoms may include: Sweating (almost always present). Check for sweating on the back of your neck at your hairline. Nervousness, shakiness, and weakness. A fast heartbeat and feeling anxious. These symptoms may go away shortly after you eat food that contains sugar. If your blood sugar continues to drop (below 40 mg/dL), your behavior may change. Symptoms may include: Inability to concentrate. Confusion and irritability. Slurred speech. Unsteadiness when standing or walking. Personality changes, such as anger or crying. Symptoms of severe low blood sugar (usually below 20 mg/dL) include: If your blood sugar drops while you are sleeping, your partner or other family members may notice that you are sweating and behaving differently. Signs of low blood sugar at night (nocturnal hypoglycemia) include: Restlessness. Making unusual noises. Attempting to get out of bed or accidentally rolling out of bed. Sweating. You may wake up with a headache in the morning if your blood sugar was low during the night. Some people have no symptoms of low blood sugar. The only symptom you may have is confusion. Or you may become unconscious before anyone realizes you have low blood sugar. You may have hypoglycemic unawareness if you: Cannot tell by your symptoms that your blood sugar is low. Have low blood sugar several times a week. Have type 1 diabetes, or have had Continue reading >>
How To Treat Low Blood Sugar: 7 Tricks Every Diabetic Should Know
What causes hypoglycemia? iStock/Erna Vader Taking certain diabetes medications, skipping meals, not consuming enough carbs, and even too much exercise can throw your blood sugar off balance and cause low blood sugar. Insomnia and excessive alcohol consumption have also been linked to low glucose levels. When blood sugar dips to a level that's too low to sustain normal functioning—in most people, that's below 70 mg/dl—it results in a hypo attack with varying symptoms depending on its severity. People who have recurring bouts of low blood sugar may have no warning signs at all, explains Michael Bergman, MD, endocrinologist and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center. This is known as hypoglycemic unawareness; the longer you’ve had diabetes, the more common it is. On the milder end of the low blood sugar spectrum, you may feel hungry, nauseated, jittery, nervous, and have cold and clammy-feeling skin. Many people also describe the feeling that their heart is racing or pounding. Low blood sugar can happen at night, too, causing nightmares and night sweats. Moderate low blood sugar can cause behavioral changes, making you fearful, confused, or angry. It can also trigger blurry vision, slurred speech, and problems with balance and walking. A layperson may even mistake you for being drunk. If left untreated, severe low blood sugar can cause loss of consciousness, seizures, irreversible brain or heart damage, coma, or even death. Here are first aid tips to handle a diabetic emergency. iStock/Geber86 It goes like this: If your blood sugar reading is low (below 70 mg/dl), eat or drink something equal to 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrate (4 ounces of juice). Even if you feel okay, don't wait for the symptoms of hypoglycemia to kick in. Rest for 15 mi Continue reading >>
Why Do I Have Low Blood Sugar In The Morning?
Your body uses blood sugar, called glucose, as a source of energy for cells and organs. Low blood sugar, also called hypoglycemia, happens when your body doesn’t have enough glucose to use for energy. People with diabetes mellitus may have low blood sugar in the morning due to too much long-acting insulin, also called background insulin and basal insulin. Insulin helps to manage blood sugar by allowing glucose to enter your cells, where it can be turned into energy. Too much insulin of any kind can cause low blood sugar. Some noninsulin medications to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus can cause hypoglycemia also. People without diabetes can also have low blood sugar, known as non-diabetic hypoglycemia. This is usually caused by lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise habits. Low blood sugar is usually defined as a glucose reading below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Readings below 54 mg/dL are more significant and signal that you may need immediate medical treatment. If you have low blood sugar in the morning, you may wake up with some of these symptoms: headache sweating dry mouth nausea lightheadedness dizziness shaking hunger anxiety blurred vision pounding heart beat If your blood sugar dips below 54 mg/dL, you might have more severe symptoms, including: fainting seizures coma If you have any of these severe symptoms, get medical help as soon as possible. Extremely low blood sugar can be life-threatening. The causes of low blood sugar in the morning vary. If you have diabetes, you likely need to adjust your background insulin levels. Make sure you’re aware of how any other medications you take can affect your blood sugar. Your doctor can help you make sure that your insulin dosage and any other medications you take are a good fit with your diet and exerc Continue reading >>
Tips For Managing Nighttime Hypoglycemia
Many people with diabetes (both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes) experience hypoglycemia while sleeping—this is called a nighttime low (as in low blood glucose level). Many factors contribute to nighttime hypoglycemia. Being familiar with the causes will help you understand the signs and take steps to prevent nighttime lows. Episodes of hypoglycemia can be uncomfortable and frightening. Severe hypoglycemia can cause seizures and be life-threatening so it's important to recognize the problem and respond appropriately.Read on for tips to help you prevent hypoglycemia. Recognizing the Signs Shakiness and irregular heartbeats can be a sign of approaching hypoglycemia. Symptoms can develop when blood sugar drops below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). Eating dinner much later than you normally do, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or having an unusually active day can contribute to the condition. Sometimes exercising too close to bedtime can trigger it, too. Experts say it's best to avoid exercising within two hours of bedtime. If you frequently wake up with symptoms of hypoglycemia, such as a headache, nausea, restlessness, dry mouth, light-headedness, or sweating, start testing your blood glucose level as soon as you get out of bed. If it's low in the morning on a regular basis —below 70 mg/dL— you and your doctor should take steps to stop the nighttime hypoglycemia.Not everyone experiences symptoms so it's possible (and potentially dangerous) to ignore the problem. To avoid what is known as "hypoglycemia unawareness" routine checking of levels at night and in the morning is vital. Strategies for Preventing Nighttime Hypoglycemia To reduce the risk of nighttime hypoglycemia, you need to come up with a way of ensuring you have more glucose in your body duri Continue reading >>
Low Blood Glucose (hypoglycemia)
What is hypoglycemia? Hypoglycemia, also called low blood glucose or low blood sugar, occurs when the level of glucose in your blood drops below normal. For many people with diabetes, that means a level of 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or less. Your numbers might be different, so check with your health care provider to find out what level is too low for you. What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia? Symptoms of hypoglycemia tend to come on quickly and can vary from person to person. You may have one or more mild-to-moderate symptoms listed in the table below. Sometimes people don’t feel any symptoms. Severe hypoglycemia is when your blood glucose level becomes so low that you’re unable to treat yourself and need help from another person. Severe hypoglycemia is dangerous and needs to be treated right away. This condition is more common in people with type 1 diabetes. Hypoglycemia Symptoms Mild-to-Moderate Severe Shaky or jittery Sweaty Hungry Headachy Blurred vision Sleepy or tired Dizzy or lightheaded Confused or disoriented Pale Uncoordinated Irritable or nervous Argumentative or combative Changed behavior or personality Trouble concentrating Weak Fast or irregular heart beat Unable to eat or drink Seizures or convulsions (jerky movements) Unconsciousness Some symptoms of hypoglycemia during sleep are crying out or having nightmares sweating enough to make your pajamas or sheets damp feeling tired, irritable, or confused after waking up What causes hypoglycemia in diabetes? Hypoglycemia can be a side effect of insulin or other types of diabetes medicines that help your body make more insulin. Two types of diabetes pills can cause hypoglycemia: sulfonylureas and meglitinides . Ask your health care team if your diabetes medicine can cause hypoglycemia. Although ot Continue reading >>
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Hypoglycemia (low Blood Sugar) In People Without Diabetes - Topic Overview
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is most common in people who have diabetes. If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes and need more information about low blood sugar, see the topics: You may have briefly felt the effects of low blood sugar when you've gotten really hungry or exercised hard without eating enough. This happens to nearly everyone from time to time. It's easy to correct and usually nothing to worry about. But low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can also be an ongoing problem. It occurs when the level of sugar in your blood drops too low to give your body energy. Ongoing problems with low blood sugar can be caused by: Medicines. Metabolic problems. Alcohol use. Symptoms can be different depending on how low your blood sugar level drops. Mild hypoglycemia can make you feel hungry or like you want to vomit. You could also feel jittery or nervous. Your heart may beat fast. You may sweat. Or your skin might turn cold and clammy. Moderate hypoglycemia often makes people feel short-tempered, nervous, afraid, or confused. Your vision may blur. You could also feel unsteady or have trouble walking. Severe hypoglycemia can cause you to pass out. You could have seizures. It could even cause a coma or death. If you've had hypoglycemia during the night, you may wake up tired or with a headache. And you may have nightmares. Or you may sweat so much during the night that your pajamas or sheets are damp when you wake up. To diagnose hypoglycemia, your doctor will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your health and any medicines you take. You will need blood tests to check your blood sugar levels. Some tests might include not eating (fasting) and watching for symptoms. Other tests might involve eating a meal that could cause symptoms of low blood sugar seve Continue reading >>
Low Blood Sugar Symptoms
A low blood sugar, also called hypoglycemia or an insulin reaction, is defined as a blood glucose level below 60 to 70 mg/dl. It is usually companied by one or more of the symptoms described below. Low blood sugars or insulin reactions can occur whenever insulin is used. Although less frequent, it can also occur with use of drugs that stimulate insulin production in Type 2 diabetes, such as Diabenese, Glyburide, Glipizide, and Starlix. Hypoglycemia symptoms vary greatly. Lows may occur with no symptoms, minor symptoms, or full-blown symptoms. They will vary from person to person and from one low to the next in the same person. A single symptom may make you aware that your blood sugar has become low, or you may suddenly become aware of several symptoms at once. Symptoms are created both by the effect of the low blood sugar on the brain and other organs, and by the effects of adrenaline and glucagon which are released in large quantities to raise the blood sugar. Anytime you suspect a low blood sugar, check it to be sure and, if you are low, raise your sugar quickly with glucose tablets or other fast carbohydrates. If you're too confused to check, eat quick carbs and check later. The faster you recognize hypoglycemia, the faster you can respond and bring the blood sugar back to normal. Keep in mind that you do not want to eat too much when you treat a low blood sugar, or you can begin a blood sugar rollercoaster. Identify the symptoms for insulin reactions so you can take action quickly. Insulin Reaction Symptoms shaking sweating irritability headache tingling hunger blurred vision dizziness and confusion numbness of the lips nausea or vomiting fast heart rate sudden tiredness seizures pale appearance frequent sighing personality change confusion or poor concentation loss Continue reading >>
6 Ways To Prevent Low Blood Sugar At Night
Nighttime dips in blood sugar levels are common among people with diabetes. Authors of a study published in June 2013 in Quality of Life Research noted that people with diabetes — type 1 or type 2 — experience low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) during sleep more frequently than many doctors realize. Nighttime hypoglycemia can be caused by a number of different factors, from exercising too close to bedtime to drinking alcohol in the evening. If untreated, low overnight blood sugar levels can lead to headaches and loss of sleep — and in extreme cases, seizures or even death. The good news is that preventing low blood sugar while you sleep can be achieved with a few simple steps: 1. Check Your Blood Sugar Before Bed “For everybody with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it’s absolutely critical that they check their blood sugar before going to bed to make sure they’re not going to have an episode of low blood sugar during the night,” says Helena W. Rodbard, MD, medical director of Endocrine and Metabolic Consultants, a private practice in Rockville, Maryland, and past president of the American College of Endocrinology. If your blood sugar levels are low at bedtime, eat a healthy snack before going to sleep. The size of the snack should be in proportion to the dip in blood sugar. For instance, a small drop in blood sugar requires only a small snack. If you use an insulin pump, consider temporarily reducing the active dose of insulin. 2. Know the Signs of Low Overnight Blood Sugar Symptoms of hypoglycemia usually develop when blood sugar levels drop below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). They include shakiness, sweating, confusion, erratic behavior, headache, and lightheadedness. With nighttime hypoglycemia, you may wake up with these symptoms or with a higher blood su Continue reading >>
Do You Bolt Awake At 3 A.m.? Low Blood Sugar Symptoms May Be To Blame
You’re exhausted and you need your eight hours of sleep, but you suddenly bolt awake around 3 or 4 a.m., energy coursing through your veins and mind churning anxiously. What gives? Waking up in the middle of the night is simply one of many low blood sugar symptoms. Why Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar Can Cause You to Be Awake at 3 a.m. Sleeping through the night represents a long period without food when blood sugar can drop too low. This is bad news for the brain, which depends on glucose for energy. The brain is highly active at night, transforming short-term memory into long-term memory,[1] and carrying out repair and regeneration.[2] In response, the adrenal glands, two walnut-shaped glands that sit atop the kidneys, release stress hormones. These stress hormones raise blood sugar back to a safe level. Unfortunately, stress hormones also raise, well, stress. Hence the anxious awakening during night’s darkest hours. Eating at 3 a.m. Can Help You Fall Back to Sleep A quick fix for this and other low blood sugar symptoms (below) can be as simple as eating a small amount of protein—with perhaps some fat thrown in—when you wake up too early. This could a spoonful of nut butter, a few pieces of meat, or a hard-boiled egg. Some find this stabilizes blood sugar levels enough so they fall back asleep. Do not, however, eat something starchy at this time, such as bread or cereal, as it will spike blood sugar levels, causing them to drop too low again. Daytime Tips to Avoid Waking Up at 3 a.m. Every Night Although a quick snack may help you fall back asleep, it’s better to prevent waking up in the first place. If you are waking up regularly at 3 a.m., chances are you suffer from low blood sugar symptoms. Signs of low blood sugar include: Sugar cravings Irritability, light Continue reading >>
Chronic Somogyi Rebound
The rebounding blood sugar following undetected diabetic hypoglycemia can easily become chronic when the high morning blood sugar data is misjudged to be due to insufficient nighttime insulin delivery. Chronic Somogyi rebound is a contested explanation of phenomena of elevated blood sugars in the morning. Also called the Somogyi effect and posthypoglycemic hyperglycemia, it is a rebounding high blood sugar that is a response to low blood sugar.[1] When managing the blood glucose level with insulin injections, this effect is counter-intuitive to insulin users who experience high blood sugar in the morning as a result of an overabundance of insulin at night. This theoretical phenomenon was named after Michael Somogyi, a Hungarian-born professor of biochemistry at the Washington University and Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, who prepared the first insulin treatment given to a child with diabetes in the USA in October 1922.[2] Somogyi showed that excessive insulin makes diabetes unstable and first published his findings in 1938.[3] Compare with the dawn phenomenon, which is a morning rise in blood sugar in response to waning insulin and a growth hormone surge (that further antagonizes insulin). Background[edit] A person with type 1 diabetes should balance insulin delivery to manage their blood glucose level. Occasionally, insufficient insulin can result in hyperglycemia. The appropriate response is to take a correction dose of insulin to reduce the blood sugar level and to consider adjusting the insulin regimen to deliver additional insulin in the future to prevent hyperglycemia. Conversely, excessive insulin delivery may result in hypoglycemia. The appropriate response is to treat the hypoglycemia and to consider adjusting the regimen to reduce insulin in the future. Somogyi Continue reading >>
Hypoglycemia And Low Blood Sugar | Symptoms And Causes
What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia? While each child may experience symptoms of hypoglycemia differently, the most common include: shakiness dizziness sweating hunger headache irritability pale skin color sudden moodiness or behavior changes, such as crying for no apparent reason clumsy or jerky movements difficulty paying attention or confusion What causes hypoglycemia? The vast majority of episodes of hypoglycemia in children and adolescents occur when a child with diabetes takes too much insulin, eats too little, or exercises strenuously or for a prolonged period of time. For young children who do not have diabetes, hypoglycemia may be caused by: Single episodes: Stomach flu, or another illness that may cause them to not eat enough fasting for a prolonged period of time prolonged strenuous exercise and lack of food Recurrent episodes: accelerated starvation, also known as “ketotic hypoglycemia,” a tendency for children without diabetes, or any other known cause of hypoglycemia, to experience repeated hypoglycemic episodes. medications your child may be taking a congenital (present at birth) error in metabolism or unusual disorder such as hypopituitarism or hyperinsulinism. Continue reading >>
Can Low Blood Sugar Or High Blood Sugar Cause Nightmares?
Both low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can cause any of a list of reactions in the body. Among these are sleep disturbances, which may manifest as nightmares. Hypoglycemia Hypoglycemia has many causes. We all require certain levels of glucose in our systems to maintain energy levels. For the non-diabetic, in the absence of certain disorders, this is generally not an issue, as the metabolic process automatically balances the levels of glucose and insulin in our bodies. For the diabetic, particularly one who is using insulin and/or other medications to manage their glucose levels, continuing balance might be more difficult to achieve. Some causes of hypoglycemia include an overdose of insulin; a dose of insulin combined with a skipped meal; a reaction to a combination of diabetic medications; exercise that isn’t factored into insulin dosing; or any of a number of other medical problems, including tumors and hormonal disorders. Once blood sugar drops below certain levels, the body releases epinephrine, signaling an emergency to the body. This in turn causes the symptoms experienced by those who have hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia does not only occur during the day. In fact, the onset of hypoglycemia during the nighttime hours is not at all uncommon. While it might be easy to spot the symptoms of a serious drop in blood sugar levels while awake (shakiness, sweating, confusion, blurred vision, tingling or numbness of the tongue or lips, lightheadedness or dizziness, among other symptoms), recognizing the problem during the night is more difficult, and potentially more critical. Nighttime onset of hypoglycemia can manifest as nightmares or crying out during sleep, excessive sweating, and confusion and irritability upon waking. It is critical to Continue reading >>
Blood Sugar And Sleep Problems: How Blood Sugar Levels Impact Sleep
November is National Diabetes Month and Alaska Sleep Clinic is dedicating this month’s blog posts to raising awareness for diabetic complications and how they correlate with sleep disorders and overall tiredness. SLEEP PROBLEMS AND SNORING MAY PREDICT DIABETES Studies have shown that individuals who consistently have a bad night's sleep are more likely to develop conditions linked to diabetes and heart disease. Loud snoring sleepers (many of whom may have sleep apnea), compared to quiet sleepers, double (2x) their risks of developing certain types of metabolic syndrome(s); including diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. This likelihood also increased dramatically to 80% in those who found it difficult to fall asleep and to 70% for those who woke up feeling not as refreshed. Blood Sugar and Sleep Problems Sleep can affect your blood sugar levels, and your blood glucose control can also affect your sleep. It’s a vicious cycle. As the amount of sleep decreases, blood sugar increases, escalating the issue. Lack of sleep has been shown to increase blood sugar levels and the risk of diabetic issues. Higher blood sugar means less long-lasting fat metabolism in the night and even less sleep. Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine found that people who slept less than 6 hours a night had more blood sugar complications compared to those who received 8 hours of sleep. HIGH BLOOD SUGAR - HYPERGLYCEMIA Sleepless and restless nights hurt more than your mood and energy; it is a form of chronic stress on the body. When there is added stress on your body this results in having higher blood sugar levels. When researchers restricted people with type-1 diabetes to just 4 hours of sleep, their sensitivity to insulin was reduced by 20% compared to that after a full nig Continue reading >>
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