Episodes of hypoglycemia can wake you up in the middle of the night making you feel anxious, nauseated, lightheaded, and hungry. This is a fairly common concern among people with type 1 diabetes, as the pancreas does not secrete insulin to compensate for the negative spikes. Monitoring nutrition by incorporating adequate amounts of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats is important for anyone with nocturnal hypoglycemia. If you are diabetic it is essential to check the blood glucose concentration throughout the day and evening to avoid this phenomenon. Also, you should find a "bedtime ritual" that is comfortable and predictable, avoiding physical activity, drinking alcohol, and otherwise altering the evening routine.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Avoiding Triggers
Step 1. Maintain a consistent bedtime routine
Alterations of this "ritual", such as going to bed late, exercising in the evening or other changes, can trigger nocturnal hypoglycemia. It is best to maintain consistent habits, including eating, training, and insulin injections.
Step 2. Do not exercise in the evening
If not, you reduce your blood glucose values and you can suffer from negative spikes while you sleep.
- If you have no other choice, remember to eat a small snack to keep your blood sugar stable.
- Remember that if you have been exercising vigorously or for a long time in the morning, this factor alters your insulin sensitivity for the next 24 hours; in that case you need to change the insulin doses.
Step 3. Avoid alcoholic drinks in the evening
If you drink alcohol before bed, you run a higher risk of nocturnal hypoglycemia. Your liver may be too busy metabolizing ethanol to make enough glucose to get you through the night.
Step 4. Dinner early
If you eat late or just a couple of hours before bed, you can suffer from sugar drops at night; avoid them by planning dinner early in the evening.
- If you have to eat late, use fast-acting insulin such as aspart or lispro instead of regular insulin. But remember to ask your doctor for advice; these types of insulin are no longer effective 2-4 hours after administration, while traditional ones are active for 3-6 hours; this means they reduce the chances of hypoglycemia while you sleep. However, keep in mind that each dose of fast-acting insulin can potentially lower your nocturnal blood glucose more than taking an equivalent dose during the day.
- You should also take into account the residual insulin present in the body since the last administration. If you take too much of the fast-acting one to balance a late dinner, you could inadvertently trigger a hypo.
Method 2 of 3: Stabilize Blood Sugar with Diet
Step 1. Make an appointment with your dietician or diabetologist
It is important to work with these diabetes professionals to develop a proper diet. Respect the meal plan that your doctor has designed for you, also inform him of any difficulties you encounter in keeping this commitment.
Step 2. Try eating a protein snack before bed
By making several attempts with foods such as raisins or dried fruit, you are able to determine which food is most effective for you to avoid nocturnal hypoglycemia.
- Eat some peanut butter or a few slices of apple.
- Try specific food products to manage this phenomenon. There are several snacks produced precisely to avoid sugar drops during the night and which at the same time do not trigger excessive spikes. Do some research online or ask your diabetologist for advice.
- Eat some Greek yogurt. It is an excellent source of protein, although its sugar content needs to be controlled, especially for flavored varieties.
- Enjoy a piece of dried meat in the evening. This snack is high in protein, but you need to check the sodium content.
Step 3. Eat a high protein breakfast
You can eat eggs with bacon or with beans; by doing this you stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day, which is important for reducing problems during the night.
Step 4. Avoid simple carbohydrates
You shouldn't eat foods like rice or white bread, as they quickly raise blood sugar concentrations with an equally fast subsequent collapse. Instead, try consuming a limited portion of complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice or seven-grain bread.
Step 5. Choose fiber-rich whole carbohydrates
They are foods that allow you to control blood sugar; among these we can mention lentils, brown rice, black bread and whole grains.
- Include peas, lentils and beans in your dishes because they contain carbohydrates, fiber, are very tasty and satiate for a long time.
- Enjoy whole grains in the morning.
- Eat a slice of whole wheat bread as a snack.
- For dinner, make a cup of unglazed rice and lentils.
Step 6. Sip some herbal tea before bed
Instead of drinking sodas or juices that contain a lot of sugar, opt for an herbal tea of hibiscus, cinnamon, rooibos or mint. A cup of these drinks calms the nerves and prepares you for rest; a valid alternative is represented by chamomile.
If you don't like hot herbal teas, drink a cold one
Method 3 of 3: Coping with Nocturnal Hypoglycemia
Step 1. Check your blood sugar one hour before bed
This way you can know if the value is low or high; if it is below the minimum levels, you can raise it with a snack.
Tell your doctor about any fluctuations in your blood glucose concentration at night. You need to change your insulin supplies if your blood sugar is too high or too low before bed
Step 2. If you wake up due to hypoglycemia, take a test and eat a snack
If the symptoms wake you up in the middle of the night, the first thing to do is to use the meter to check the situation, after which you can eat something to restore the sugar concentration.
- If the value is below the normal range (usually below 70), you can take 15 g of carbohydrates, such as 120 ml of fruit juice, 7-8 gummy candies or standard "life-saving" product.
- Wait 15 minutes and repeat the test; if your blood sugar is still low, eat a second snack.
- If the figure does not exceed the limit of 70 and there is more than an hour to the next meal, consume another 15 g of carbohydrates.
Step 3. Ask your doctor
If you are following a very strict glucose control protocol and suffer from nocturnal hypoglycemia, you should ask your diabetes specialist if you are taking the right type of insulin during the day.
- You should also inquire as to whether it is appropriate to replace the standard hormone with the fast-acting one in the evening hours.
- You can ask him explicitly if you need to try fast-acting insulin to avoid nocturnal hypoglycemia.
Advice
- Keep carbohydrate-rich products on the bedside table, such as dextrose tablets or glucose gel. also have some injectable glucagon on hand, which is needed in cases of severe hypoglycemia. A family member should be able to inject it, because if you are in a severe hypoglycemic state you are unable to administer it yourself.
- Always follow your doctor's instructions regarding taking medications and insulin.
