Diabetes Type 2 Support Group
Type 2 Diabetes is a condition in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not make efficient use of it. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert food into glucose, a sugar that the body uses for energy. Without enough insulin, glucose can accumulate in the blood, and can cause serious health problems such as heart disease and strokes and organ damage...
In response to several members Im posting a long asnwer to the question: Why are my morning blood sugars high even when I go to sleep and they are normal?
1) This is called the Dawn Phenomenon. Since most of us fast during the night our bodies use stored energy during sleep.
2) The easiest form of stored energy is Glycogen. Glycogen is made from glucose, and is stored in the liver and muscles (we use other forms of stored nutrients at night like albumin but I wont go in to too much detail)
3) Overnight, usually between 4am and 11am, your body releases some hormones (Growth Hormone, cortisol, glucagon and epinephrine). 4) These hormones cause an increase in insulin resistance, raising your blood sugar. In addition, these hormones trigger glucose production.
5) This is the Dawn Phenomenon.
6) JUST BRIEFLY a LESS COMMON cause of morning hyperglycemia (high morning sugars) is the Somogyi effect where you are having episodes of HYPOGLYCEMIA during the night and the elevated sugars are a compensatory response...this should be more obvious to you as you SHOULD (but not always) waken with symptoms of hypoglycemia in the middle of the night.
What are some ways to deal with it? Try these out and see which works best for you:
1) Try eating little or no food after dinner. This will basically lower your blood sugar at night so that when it rises in the AM the increase will still keep you below about 120
2) TO AVOID SOMOGYI EFFECT Try eating a small snack of fat and protein before bed. A tablespoon of peanut butter, or some cheese and deli meat will work. The theory here is that the slow-digesting fat and protein holds their blood sugar high enough overnight to avoid the episodes of hypoglycemia.
3) Metformin (Glucophage) is often very effective in limiting Dawn Phenomenon for Type II Diabetics.
4) EAT BREAKFAST. The resulting increase in blood glucose from food will often TURN OFF the continued rise.
Hope this helps.....
Dr O.
1) This is called the Dawn Phenomenon. Since most of us fast during the night our bodies use stored energy during sleep.
2) The easiest form of stored energy is Glycogen. Glycogen is made from glucose, and is stored in the liver and muscles (we use other forms of stored nutrients at night like albumin but I wont go in to too much detail)
3) Overnight, usually between 4am and 11am, your body releases some hormones (Growth Hormone, cortisol, glucagon and epinephrine). 4) These hormones cause an increase in insulin resistance, raising your blood sugar. In addition, these hormones trigger glucose production.
5) This is the Dawn Phenomenon.
6) JUST BRIEFLY a LESS COMMON cause of morning hyperglycemia (high morning sugars) is the Somogyi effect where you are having episodes of HYPOGLYCEMIA during the night and the elevated sugars are a compensatory response...this should be more obvious to you as you SHOULD (but not always) waken with symptoms of hypoglycemia in the middle of the night.
What are some ways to deal with it? Try these out and see which works best for you:
1) Try eating little or no food after dinner. This will basically lower your blood sugar at night so that when it rises in the AM the increase will still keep you below about 120
2) TO AVOID SOMOGYI EFFECT Try eating a small snack of fat and protein before bed. A tablespoon of peanut butter, or some cheese and deli meat will work. The theory here is that the slow-digesting fat and protein holds their blood sugar high enough overnight to avoid the episodes of hypoglycemia.
3) Metformin (Glucophage) is often very effective in limiting Dawn Phenomenon for Type II Diabetics.
4) EAT BREAKFAST. The resulting increase in blood glucose from food will often TURN OFF the continued rise.
Hope this helps.....
Dr O.
deleted_user
Thank you for this post. I found it to be very helpful.
deleted_user
Thanks for all your helpful information. I find it really useful to have an understanding of what is happening in my body.
deleted_user
I appreciate you taking your time and helping keep us informed. The information you share is always informative. Thanks
deleted_user
Thanks so much. Now I can ask more intelligent questions at my next doctor visit
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