People with diabetes have a more difficult time regulating their blood sugar. Those with type 1 diabetes are not able to produce insulin, the hormone that helps the body convert blood sugar into energy. And those with type 2 diabetes cannot use insulin effectively. As a result, blood sugar levels are often much higher for people with diabetes, especially in the morning.
What is the dawn phenomenon?
That early morning jump in your blood sugar is called the dawn phenomenon or the dawn effect, it happens between 2 am and 8 am. The effects of the dawn phenomenon can vary from person to person, even from day to day. It is believed that the natural overnight release of counter-regulatory hormones makes your insulin resistance stronger, which makes your blood sugar go up. You may also have high blood sugar in the morning as a result of not getting adequate insulin the night before or due to you skipping your medicine or eating the wrong snack before bedtime.
How to lower morning blood sugar?
Eat dinner early and try to stay active by going for a walk.
Check with your health care provider about the medicine you’re taking.
Eat breakfast properly as it helps bring your blood sugar back to normal.
Eat a snack with some carbohydrates and protein before bed.
Avoid all sweetened beverages, like soda, fruit punch, fruit drinks and sweet tea, as just a single serving can raise your blood sugar.
If it happens for several mornings in a row, check your insulin level once during the night around 2 am or 3 am for a few nights. Then, take those numbers to your doctor. They can figure out if you really have the dawn phenomenon, or if something else is causing those higher morning numbers.