How is it Possible to Have a High Blood Sugar Level in the Morning?
One problem in the control of type 2 diabetes is morning hyperglycemia...
your blood sugar level is higher in the morning than it was when you went to bed the night before.
Or perhaps you checked your blood sugar in the early morning and then went back to sleep, only to find that it had risen while you slept.
How is this possible? People who have type 2 diabetes occasionally encounter the dawn effect, or, if on insulin, the Somogyi effect, named after its discoverer.
Your body constantly monitors and alters how much sugar you have in your bloodstream.
Between about 3:00 and 7:00 in the morning, your body releases the hormones...
cortisol, growth hormone, and the neurotransmitters...
epinephrine and nor epinephrine, into the bloodstream.
These hormones and neurotransmitters make possible the "fight or flight" response.
They raise the level of blood glucose, giving your body energy to wake up and get up after a night of sleep.
If the elevated blood sugar, or glucose, is unable to enter your muscle cells and your other cells, which is the case in type 2 diabetes, then the sugar is left to flow through your bloodstream, raising your blood sugar level.
Another cause of early morning sugar elevation can be the Somogyi effect in people with type 2 diabetes who are being treated with insulin.
This is sometimes caused when the last dose of insulin for the day is too high, or you maybe missed your usual late-night snack, and the insulin you are taking forces your blood glucose too low.
If you are taking insulin at the end of the day and your are having high blood sugar levels in the morning, you will need to discuss this with your health care provider as adjustment to the dose may be necessary.
If your blood sugar is elevated at 8:00 am and you are taking insulin, then a bedtime snack may be needed.
The snack should not be high in sugar, since this can cause a rebound effect, causing the pancreas to release too much insulin to try to counteract the sudden increase in blood glucose.
A glass of nonfat milk or a slice of rye bread with peanut butter, or a cup of cottage cheese may be helpful.
The system your body has for controlling blood sugar is somewhat imprecise...
your blood sugar can still be too low or too high despite your body's best efforts.
On occasions you will see a high or low blood sugar level you will not be able to explain.
your blood sugar level is higher in the morning than it was when you went to bed the night before.
Or perhaps you checked your blood sugar in the early morning and then went back to sleep, only to find that it had risen while you slept.
How is this possible? People who have type 2 diabetes occasionally encounter the dawn effect, or, if on insulin, the Somogyi effect, named after its discoverer.
Your body constantly monitors and alters how much sugar you have in your bloodstream.
Between about 3:00 and 7:00 in the morning, your body releases the hormones...
cortisol, growth hormone, and the neurotransmitters...
epinephrine and nor epinephrine, into the bloodstream.
These hormones and neurotransmitters make possible the "fight or flight" response.
They raise the level of blood glucose, giving your body energy to wake up and get up after a night of sleep.
If the elevated blood sugar, or glucose, is unable to enter your muscle cells and your other cells, which is the case in type 2 diabetes, then the sugar is left to flow through your bloodstream, raising your blood sugar level.
Another cause of early morning sugar elevation can be the Somogyi effect in people with type 2 diabetes who are being treated with insulin.
This is sometimes caused when the last dose of insulin for the day is too high, or you maybe missed your usual late-night snack, and the insulin you are taking forces your blood glucose too low.
If you are taking insulin at the end of the day and your are having high blood sugar levels in the morning, you will need to discuss this with your health care provider as adjustment to the dose may be necessary.
If your blood sugar is elevated at 8:00 am and you are taking insulin, then a bedtime snack may be needed.
The snack should not be high in sugar, since this can cause a rebound effect, causing the pancreas to release too much insulin to try to counteract the sudden increase in blood glucose.
A glass of nonfat milk or a slice of rye bread with peanut butter, or a cup of cottage cheese may be helpful.
The system your body has for controlling blood sugar is somewhat imprecise...
your blood sugar can still be too low or too high despite your body's best efforts.
On occasions you will see a high or low blood sugar level you will not be able to explain.