Recently, people with diabetes often ask, why did my blood sugar rise the next morning after I slept and didn’t eat anything? It doesn't make sense. Can blood sugar be raised while sleeping?
In view of the situation that many people with diabetes have normal blood sugar after meals but high fasting blood sugar, Tang Xiaonuo will analyze it for everyone.
What is fasting blood glucose? It is the blood sugar value measured after fasting for 8 to 12 hours (cannot eat anything, but can drink water).
Generally speaking, if a person with diabetes has a fasting blood sugar greater than 7mmol/L, the fasting blood sugar is considered to be high.
What are the causes of high fasting blood sugar?
1. Too much dinner the day before
This is the most common cause of fasting hyperglycemia, which is related to the quantity and quality of meals at night.
Eating too much without exercising after meals and consuming less at night will increase the amount of sugar released by food into the blood. Of course, it's also possible that I ate late.
In addition, it is also related to the state of rest and sleep at night. If you don't sleep well at night, are in a state of insomnia, have a bad mood at night, and are very tired, your fasting blood sugar will fluctuate in the morning, sometimes high and sometimes low.
Occasionally high blood sugar on an empty stomach does not have much to do with it. Controlling your diet and going for a walk after meals can improve it. However, if it happens frequently, you must consider the following two factors.
2. Dawn phenomenon: blood sugar is not low at night but rises in the morning
Blood sugar is not only regulated by the energy released by food but also by a variety of hormones, most of which are blood sugar-raising hormones, including glucocorticoids, growth hormone, etc.
These hormones begin to gradually increase in the early morning, acting on the glycogen stored in the liver and muscles, releasing them into the blood circulation, and blood sugar increases accordingly.
In medicine, this phenomenon of elevated blood sugar in the early morning is called the "dawn phenomenon." Under the influence of glucagon, blood sugar gradually rises. So fasting blood sugar may be higher than bedtime blood sugar the day before.
How to monitor: Blood sugar is very stable at night, and there is no hypoglycemia. On the contrary, blood sugar gradually rises in the early morning, and fasting blood sugar reaches the highest point before breakfast. This is the dawn phenomenon.
How to deal with it? On the basis of adhering to the general diet therapy, the number of meals can be appropriately increased (4 to 5 meals can be arranged a day).
At the same time, you should have a snack about an hour before going to bed at night. You can eat a small amount of food containing carbohydrates and protein, such as a glass of milk, a small bowl of porridge, or a few slices of bread. This will help improve nighttime insulin secretion and sensitivity.
3. Sumujie effect: blood sugar is too low at night and rises in the morning
When diabetic patients are prone to hypoglycemia, the body will activate a protective mechanism. The previously mentioned blood sugar-raising hormones will be secreted more, thereby raising blood sugar and causing secondary hyperglycemia. This is the "Sumuje effect".
It is worth noting that patients with diabetes who experience the Sumujie effect sometimes do not have typical symptoms of hypoglycemia such as panic and cold sweats, and are asleep at the same time. It is very dangerous to suffer from hypoglycemia and coma.
Low blood sugar at midnight is the beginning of a nightmare.
How to monitor: In order to reduce the impact on sleep, you can monitor blood sugar at 3 o'clock in the morning. If possible, it is best to do 24-hour blood sugar monitoring in the hospital.
If the blood sugar measured in the early morning (0-4 a.m.) shows hypoglycemia (blood sugar less than or equal to 3.9mmol/L), it means that the reason for the increase in fasting blood sugar before breakfast is the "Sumuje effect".
How to deal with it?
Regular diet and exercise, and appropriate drug dosage are the prerequisites for solving the Sumujie effect.
People with diabetes who use long-acting sulfonylureas (such as gliclazide extended-release tablets, glimepiride tablets), premixed insulin, and intermediate-acting and long-acting insulin should pay special attention to the hematoxylin effect.
Sharing meals is a good way to prevent the Sumuji effect.
For diabetic patients with high blood sugar after meals (higher than 10 mmol/L) and low blood sugar before going to bed, they can eat 1/3 of their dinner between 9:30 and 10:00 pm.
If the blood sugar does not exceed 10 mol/L after dinner, you can eat directly.
It should be noted that if you adjust your diet at night, you must remember to monitor your blood sugar after dinner and before going to bed.
If your blood sugar is below 6 mmol/L before going to bed, the Sumuje effect may be causing trouble.
At this time, it is appropriate to add 4 slices of soda crackers or 1 cup (225 ml) of milk. Don’t worry too much that eating something before going to bed will cause high blood sugar. You must know that hypoglycemia is more harmful.
It should be noted here that regarding the dawn phenomenon or Sumujie phenomenon, these are only temporary methods.
In most cases, if the medication needs to be adjusted, it is best to see a doctor in time and ask the doctor to handle it. The doctor will tailor the treatment to your condition and choose the most appropriate treatment plan.
