Preventing and Correcting Nighttime Lows

Having low blood sugar while sleeping is both frightening and dangerous. There are several things you can do to prevent a nighttime low, correct one if it occurs, and have target blood sugar levels in the morning. One recommendation is to always keep pure glucose by your bedside, and we have more.

For everyone with diabetes who takes insulin or another medication that can lower blood sugar, hypoglycemia (blood sugar below 70mg/dl or 4 mmol/l) is a threat. If you have diabetes or a loved one has diabetes, you know few things are more frightening than the thought of going low during the nighttime hours.

Most people feel confident to deal with lows that occur while they are awake. The symptoms, even if subtle, can usually be recognized in time to grab some fast-acting carbohydrates and bring the blood sugar back up. But a low, or the thought of a low, while sleeping is scary. Will the symptoms be strong enough to wake me? Will I have the ability to get up and correct it? Will I just lie there oblivious or helpless to do anything about it?

The good news about nighttime hypoglycemia is that it is both preventable and easily correctable. By understanding the causes of nighttime lows, you can apply effective strategies to minimize them. By being adequately prepared to correct a nighttime low, their frequency and severity can be lessened.