A: Yes. Multiple studies have shown that repeated awakenings during the night, insufficient sleep, excessive sleep, and irregular sleep all promote glucose intolerance. Furthermore, if a person has prediabetes or diabetes, poor sleep will worsen the condition.
Insulin sensitivity is reduced by sleep deprivation and impacts glucose. The time of day a person sleeps impacts insulin and cortisol levels, both of which affect glucose. Increases in growth hormone accompany glucose increases during sleep.
In addition to raising blood sugar levels in people who already have diabetes, sleep deprivation also raises the risk of developing insulin resistance in the first place. This link becomes apparent as early as childhood. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov . Studies have also found that later or irregular sleeping schedules.
A high-protein, low-fat snack before bed may help people with diabetes stabilize their blood sugar levels overnight. Everyone's blood sugar levels change throughout the night. In people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, these fluctuations can cause high blood sugar levels, or hyperglycemia, in the morning.
The dawn phenomenon is an early-morning rise in blood sugar, also called blood glucose, in people with diabetes. The dawn phenomenon leads to high levels of blood sugar, a condition called hyperglycemia. It usually happens between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.
For low blood sugar between 55-69 mg/dL, raise it by following the 15-15 rule: have 15 grams of carbs and check your blood sugar after 15 minutes. If it's still below your target range, have another serving. Repeat these steps until it's in your target range.
To keep your blood sugar in balance, try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. If you work at night or have rotating shifts: Try to maintain regular meal and sleep times, even on your days off, if you can. And get some exercise during your breaks, like short walks or stretches.
When your blood sugar level gets too high — known as hyperglycemia or high blood glucose — the quickest way to reduce it is to take fast-acting insulin. Exercising is another fast, effective way to lower blood sugar. In some cases, you should go to the hospital instead of handling it at home.
Late-night snacks add extra calories, which can lead to weight gain. And, if you snack after your evening meal — especially on foods with carbohydrates — you may wake up the next morning with a high blood sugar level.
So people reduce their carb intake, go on a low carbohydrate diet, and focus on eating healthy fats and (in many cases) too much protein. But what this solution crucially fails to address is insulin resistance, which is the true cause of those high blood glucose numbers.
The dawn phenomenon
In the early hours of the morning, hormones, including cortisol and growth hormone, signal the liver to boost the production of glucose, which provides energy that helps you wake up. This triggers beta cells in the pancreas to release insulin in order to keep blood glucose levels in check.
These participants were limited to sleeping four hours a night for six nights. By the end of the week, they appeared to have prediabetes when challenged with a standard dose of glucose. In other words, lack of sleep – by itself! – moved a group of healthy people into the prediabetes range within six days.
Is It Safe to Sleep with High Blood Sugar? Glucose levels that are occasionally a little high at night generally don't pose serious, immediate health concerns. Most people with diabetes cannot avoid some high glucose levels.
If stress doesn't go away, it can keep your blood sugar levels high and put you at higher risk of diabetes complications. It can also affect your mood and how you look after yourself, which can start to affect your emotional health. But there are things you can do to take the pressure off.
Drinking water regularly may rehydrate the blood, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce diabetes risk ( 20 , 21 ). Keep in mind that water and other zero-calorie drinks are best. Avoid sugar-sweetened options, as these can raise blood glucose, drive weight gain, and increase diabetes risk ( 22 , 23 ).
Exercise (even just 10 or 15 minutes)
Physical activity can be a very effective method of reducing a high blood sugar. If you don't take insulin, exercise can be a very simple approach to reducing high blood sugar levels. Even just a 15-minute walk can have a big impact on your blood sugar.
Continuously not getting enough sleep can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Lack of sleep causes less insulin to be released in your body after you eat while your body secrets more stress hormones, which helps you stay awake, but insulin cannot do its job effectively.
The blood transports glucose to body cells as energy. Research shows that blood sugar levels usually increase when a person sleeps. However, Blood sugar fluctuations that occur overnight and during sleep are normal and not a cause for concern for most healthy people.
Some studies suggest that drinking coffee — whether caffeinated and decaffeinated — may actually reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, however, the impact of caffeine on insulin action may be associated with higher or lower blood sugar levels.
In general, a blood sugar reading of more than 180 mg/dL or any reading above your target range is too high. A blood sugar reading of 300 mg/dL or more can be dangerous. If you have 2 readings in a row of 300 or more, call your doctor.
Fasting blood sugar test.
A fasting blood sugar level less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) is normal. A fasting blood sugar level from 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) is considered prediabetes. If it's 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two separate tests, you have diabetes.