Controlling your blood sugar with diabetes can be challenging. Some diabetics have high blood sugar levels in the morning, which likely leads to elevated blood sugar levels for the rest of the day, while others have fairly good control overall, except for their morning blood sugar levels. Independently of your own blood sugar pattern, it is important to determine the cause of your high blood sugar levels in the morning so you can adopt the best strategies to improve your readings and ensure they fall within the target of 70 to 130 mg/dL, as recommended by the American Diabetes Association.
Dawn Phenomenon
The dawn phenomenon is one possible explanation for your high blood sugar levels. During the period of time between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m., your body becomes more insulin-resistant due to the release of a number of different hormones. In addition, your liver also releases glucose, or sugar, into your bloodstream to prepare the body for the next day, as explained by the Cleveland Clinic. The body has its own rhythms, so when it senses sunrise approaching, it's conditioned to believe you will soon awaken and need sugar to begin the day. The result is blood sugar levels that are above the recommended 70 to 130 mg/dL, even before having eaten.
Somogyi Effect
The Somogyi effect, also called rebound hyperglycemia, is another potential cause for your high blood sugar reading first thing in the morning. Hyperglycemia is a term that signifies high blood sugar levels. The Somogyi effect usually happens when you have had too many diabetes medications or insulin at dinner or at bedtime for your needs, which result in hypoglycemia in the middle of the night, while you sleep. When your body finds a way to deal with this drop in your blood sugar levels, your levels can rise way above the recommended range, causing a wide-swinging pendulum effect, leading to morning hyperglycemia.
Large Dinner and Late Night Snacking
For some diabetics, eating a larger dinner than usual or having a large snack at bedtime, especially if a lot of carbohydrates are consumed, can result in high blood sugar levels if you take your reading before breakfast. For example, having a large hamburger with large french fries and a large soft drink, or eating a box of cookies or a bag of chips, can be too much for your body to handle, and you might see the impact of your overeating the following morning.
Prevention
If your morning blood sugar levels are where you want them to be, start tracking what and when you eat, the medications you take and your blood sugar readings throughout the day. Check your blood sugar levels at bedtime, and try checking them in the middle of the night a few times to see whether you experience hypoglycemia when you are sleeping, which could result in the Somogyi effect. Depending on the cause of your uncontrolled blood sugar levels in the morning, you will adopt different strategies to correct them. If you eat too much at dinner or at bedtime, try reducing your carb intake and see if it makes a difference. Some diabetics benefit from taking some medications or insulin with their breakfast, which should only be done with doctor approval. Others try going for a walk or having a lighter breakfast. Talk to your diabetes medical team to get help identifying the problem and finding the best solution.
