Evening Meals With Fat And Carbohydrates
Meals full of both fat and carbohydrates may require a longer time for digestion, resulting in higher glucose readings several hours after eating.
One study with young, healthy participants showed that eating a late dinner composed of 50% carbs, 35% fat, and 35% of total daily calories caused a prolonged glucose intolerance and reduced fatty acid oxidation< sup> 2< /sup> during sleepâparticularly in those who hit the hay earlierâand an increase in cortisol. Researchers hypothesized that these same metabolic reactions could contribute to obesity if repeated consistently.
Sweating While Sleeping Can Be A Sign Of Low Sugar Level Know Other Reasons
Antidepressants can also cause sweating while sleeping.
People also sweat while sleeping due to nervousness.
Night Sweating: Many people often sweat while sleeping at night. Sweating is normal due to the rise in temperature in the summer season, but some people sweat profusely despite not being very hot while sleeping at night and when they wake up in the morning, they find themselves completely soaked in sweat. . It is not normal for this to happen everyday for a long time.
There can be many reasons for sweating while sleeping, excessive sweating is not a serious thing but still you need to be alert. When you have to go to the doctor, what are the reasons and what can be the treatment, let us know about this.
Why Your Blood Sugar Is Low At Night And What To Do About It
While alterations in blood sugar are often thought to apply to people who have diabetes, adults without diabetes also experience dips and rises in their blood sugar that have effects on their body. What you eat, how much, when and at what times all impact your blood sugar levels. Heres what might be going on:
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S For Treating A Person With Symptoms Keeping Them From Being Able To Treat Themselves
Dont hesitate to call 911. If someone is unconscious and glucagon is not available or someone does not know how to use it, call 911 immediately.
Do NOT:
- Inject insulin
- Provide food or fluids
Tips To Prevent Blood Sugar From Dropping At Night
Hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar or low blood glucose, occurs when blood glucose levels drop below normalwhich is typically below a level of 70 milligrams per deciliter . With levels more commonly dipping at nighttime, otherwise referred to as nighttime hypoglycemia, this condition affects mostly patients with diabetes.
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Are There Any Newer Technologies To Prevent Hypoglycemia
We are lucky that in this day and age, we can predict hypoglycemia and prevent it through technology like continuous glucose monitors, explains Dr. Shah. Additionally, he notes that there are newer insulins available to help decrease episodes of hypoglycemia.
One of our roles as your doctor is to educate every patient about the self-management of diabetes and to create a personalized care plan, explains Dr. Shah. By self-managing your condition you will really feel empowered enough to take control of your health.
Dr. Shah is located at the Hackensack Meridian Health Medical Group Diabetes Center, part of Hackensack Meridian Health Medical Group. Call to schedule an appointment at the office in Old Bridge.
Resources
Preventing Night Time Hypoglycemia
A useful first step towards preventing hypoglycemia is to test your blood glucose levels before bed.
For people on two or more insulin injections per day can help prevent hypos over night keeping blood glucose levels above 6.5 mmol/l before going to bed.
If over night hypos are suspected, carry out a test at 3am. Together with a before bed and first thing in the morning test, this can help to understand how your sugar levels are behaving over night.
If sugar levels are dropping too low over night, you may need to adjust your insulin doses. Speak to your doctor if you need help with correctly adjusting your insulin
The other way to prevent sugar levels going too low is to take some carbohydrate before bed.
Hypos can also be prevented by:
- Ensuring you basal insulin dose is not too high
- Reducing your night time/evening long acting insulin following exercise
- Taking carbohydrate before bed following an evening/night of drinking
- Not missing out dinner or any snacks you would usually have
Concerned about hypos? Join the Hypo Awareness Program for a comprehensive guide towards improving hypo awareness »
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What Are The Symptoms Of Hypoglycemia
Symptoms of hypoglycemia can start quickly, with people experiencing them in different ways. The signs of hypoglycemia are unpleasant. But they provide good warnings that you should take action before blood sugar drops more. The signs include:
- Shaking or trembling.
- Tingling or numbness in the face or mouth.
During a severe hypoglycemic event, a person may:
- Be unable to eat or drink.
- Have a seizure or convulsions .
- Lose consciousness.
- Slip into a coma or die .
Ways To Avoid Nighttime Hypoglycemia
Check your glucose before going to bed. This could be either with your glucose meter or your continuous glucose monitoring device. Aim for a target of 90-150mg/dl. Know the signs and symptoms of nighttime hypoglycemia. Before you go to bed, consider all of the causes of nighttime hypoglycemia, and if you think youre at risk, have a snack before heading to bed. Try to be consistent with your meals and/or snacks skipping dinner or snacks you usually have can put you at risk. Eat a meal or snack when consuming alcohol.You may need to reduce your predinner or evening/bedtime basal insulin following exercise. Be prepared, have rapid-acting carbohydrates like glucose tablets, juice or soda at your bedside. If you find yourself experiencing frequent nighttime hypoglycemia you may need to adjust your insulin doses. Speak to your diabetes care team about adjusting your insulin regimen or things that you can do to avoid hypoglycemia whether it be overnight or anytime during the day.
Although this content is reviewed by Joslin Diabetes Center healthcare professionals, it is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.
To make an appointment with a Joslin provider or diabetes care and education specialist please call 309-2440.
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How Do I Treat An Episode Of Hypoglycemia
The American Diabetes Association recommends the 15-15 rule for an episode of hypoglycemia:
- Eat or drink 15 grams of carbs to raise your blood sugar.
- After 15 minutes, check your blood sugar.
- If its still below 70 mg/dL, have another 15 grams of carbs.
- Repeat until your blood sugar is at least 70 mg/dL.
If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia but cant test your blood sugar, use the 15-15 rule until you feel better.
Note: Children need fewer grams of carbs. Check with your healthcare provider.
Meal And Alcohol Timing And Glucose Levels
When you wake up after a long nights sleep, your body has been in a fasting state for quite a few hours. During this fasting period, your body expends circulating and stored glucose to perform all the usual physiologic processes. If you tend to stop eating earlier in the evening and do not snack at night, this fasting window will be greater, leading to lower glucose levels during that night.
Additionally, drinking alcohol in the evening could lead to low glucose values overnight. Its thought that drinking alcohol the livers ability to make new glucose via gluconeogenesis, leading to lower circulating glucose levels. To counter this decrease, alcohol stimulates the breakdown and release of stored glucose . This balance between impaired gluconeogenesis and increased glycogenolysis means that alcohol shouldnt significantly affect glucose levels for normal, healthy individuals eating a standard diet.
However, the situation is different for those whove been fasting or are in a ketogenic state because these individuals already have much less glucose stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. Normally this state prompts the liver to produce new glucose via gluconeogenesis, but, as noted above, alcohol inhibits this process. The result is that glucose levels can fall to dangerously low levels, and in extreme cases, this hypoglycemic state can lead to seizures, coma, or death.
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Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar
How you react to low blood sugar may not be the same as how someone else with low blood sugar reacts. Its important to know your signs. Common symptoms may include:
- Fast heartbeat
- Hunger
If youve had low blood sugar without feeling or noticing symptoms , you may need to check your blood sugar more often to see if its low and treat it. Driving with low blood sugar can be dangerous, so be sure to check your blood sugar before you get behind the wheel.
You may not have any symptoms when your blood sugar is low . If you dont have symptoms, it will be harder to treat your low blood sugar early. This increases your risk of having severe lows and can be dangerous. This is more likely to happen if you:
- Have had diabetes for more than 5-10 years.
- Frequently have low blood sugar.
- Take certain medicines, such as beta blockers for high blood pressure.
If you meet one or more of the above and you have hypoglycemia unawareness, you may need to check your blood sugar more often to see if its low. This is very important to do before driving or being physically active.
How To Avoid Night Time Lows
Medication
To avoid lows, the number one thing would be not to take the medications listed above . Some people who are on the medications listed which help to release insulin and who may be having lows day or night, may be able to take newer medications that dont cause lows. Thats why its important to mention your lows to your diabetes healthcare team and ask if there is a different medication you could take instead.
If you do need to take these oral medications, they should usually be taken at suppertime, with food, to help with the rise in blood sugar. They should not be taken after supper or at bedtime.
Insulin
If you take insulin, it is important to know how night-time or basal insulin works for you. Some insulins peak in six to eight hours: if you take them at suppertime, that means the peak will occur in the middle of the night. This is most common with NPH insulin . Taking it at bedtime so that it peaks more toward morning is a good idea. Pre-mixed insulin also tends to peak in the night but it must be taken with supper, as it has a short-acting component and is a common cause of night-time lows for people with type 2 diabetes.
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Sleep Habits And Diabetes
While diet and obesity are big contributors to your odds of having diabetes, studies have found that sleep habits are, too, probably because over time, they can affect how well your cells respond to insulin.
In one study, more than 4,000 people reported the amount of sleep they got each night. Those who got less than 6 hours were twice as likely to have cells that were less sensitive to insulin or to have full-blown diabetes. This was true even after the researchers took other lifestyle habits into account.
Other sleep disruptions and disorders, such as sleep apnea, also seem to raise a personâs odds of having diabetes.
But the risk goes up at the other end of the spectrum, too. For reasons that arenât clear, people who sleep too much — more than 9 hours a night — might also have higher chances of getting diabetes.
Treating Low Blood Glucose If You Take Medicines That Slow Down Digestion
Some diabetes medicines slow down the digestion of carbohydrates to keep blood glucose levels from rising too high after you eat. If you develop low blood glucose while taking these medicines, you will need to take glucose tablets or glucose gel right away. Eating or drinking other sources of carbohydrates wont raise your blood glucose level quickly enough.
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Even A Low Level Of Light At Night May Disrupt Your Blood Sugar
Leaving even a dim light on while you sleep may disrupt blood sugar control, a small study in humans suggests
Sleeping with a night light on might have down sides
Shutterstock / Realstock
Keeping the TV or a bedside light on overnight could slightly disturb your sleep enough to disrupt the way our bodies normally keep our blood sugar within a healthy range.
In a small trial, even one night spent sleeping in a room with a light on was enough to give participants slightly worse blood sugar control the next morning.
Previous population studies have found that people who sleep with a light on or the TV on in their bedrooms are more likely to be overweight or have type 2 diabetes. But such research cant say if it is the light that causes the poor health.
Now, the study by Phyllis Zee at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and her colleagues supports the idea that the connection is causal, and gives clues about the possible mechanism.
Her team investigated the link by asking 20 healthy volunteers to spend two nights in their sleep lab. On the first night, all participants slept in a very dark room. On the second, half slept with a lighting level of 100 lux, equivalent to keeping a TV or bedside light on or having a bright street light shining through thin curtains.
People who had two nights under dark conditions had little difference in their blood sugar control.
Journal reference: PNAS, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113290119
More on these topics:
How To Treat Someone Who’s Unconscious Or Very Sleepy
Follow these steps:
They may need to go to hospital if they’re being sick , or their blood sugar level drops again.
Tell your diabetes care team if you ever have a severe hypo that caused you to lose consciousness.
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Sleep And Blood Sugar Levels
You might think that blood sugar levels drop while you’re sleeping. If you’re at rest, your body should be, too, right? But that’s definitely not the case â your liver and pancreas are hard at work maintaining your blood sugar levels while you’re conked out.
“Your liver stores glucose as glycogen and also makes glucose during sleep to maintain glucose levels in the body during sleep or periods of fasting,” says Kelly N. Wood, MD, an endocrinologist at Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville, Georgia.
“The pancreas makes insulin while you sleep to also keep glucose levels stable during the night. If the glucose level is too high, the liver absorbs glucose and stores it as glycogen. If the glucose level is too low, the liver converts glycogen back to glucose to return blood sugar levels back to normal,” says Wood.
Your blood sugar also tends to spike as you get closer to morning. “At night, between 3 and 8 a.m., blood sugar levels tend to spike,” Dr. Wood says. “This is called the dawn phenomenon. Cortisol levels tend to be highest in the morning, which raises an individual’s blood sugar levels.”
If you already have type 2 diabetes, that could be a problem. “People without diabetes make more insulin to handle the spike in blood sugar levels, but people with type 2 diabetes have insulin resistance, and those levels remain elevated,” she says.
Is Low Blood Sugar Disrupting Your Sleep
Have you ever woken up in the middle-of-the-night and arent sure why? Or felt really restless at night and spent your time tossing and turning? The culprit may actually be low blood sugar.
How can your blood sugar dip as you spend the night snoozing? Low blood sugar can cause restless sleep because even though we are sleeping, our body is still using glucose as its energy source for our heart to beat and our brain to dream, says Tony Castillo, a registered dietitian with Nutrition for Performance in Stuart, Florida. That could result in nightmares, sweating and shakiness that triggers a stress response that wakes you up, he explains. Low blood sugar is also called hypoglycemia.
Getting good sleep is important for everyone. In fact, poor sleep affects your health and weight, and people who log fewer hours of sleep or dont get consistent sleep are more likely to have a higher BMI, according to research in JAMA Internal Medicine. Doing what you can to ensure an adequate and restful night of sleep is one key factor in maintaining a healthy weight.
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