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High blood sugar in the morning is a popular topic – it seems to stump many people.
For instance, a while back I had a client sending me her blood sugar charts every few days and on those charts she always made some notes if she had questions.
Every time she sent them through, I noticed she had 3 big question marks (???) against her morning readings. And on another morning when her morning blood sugar levels were high at 160 mg/dl (or 8.9 mmol/l).
She had written:
I don’t understand. 97 mg/dl (or 5.5mmol/l) last night when I went to sleep. I didn’t eat anything because I didn’t feel well. Humm…
Here on the DMP blog we often receive comments like:
- Why is my reading in the morning higher than when I go to sleep?
- My morning numbers are always high no matter what I do. When I say high I mean 190. I am so frustrated and don’t understand why.
- Why does my blood glucose spike in my sleep giving me a high reading in the morning when I watch all I eat at dinner time?
Do these morning situations sound familiar to you? Are you constantly questioning why you have high blood sugar in the morning?
Logically we’d think that it should be at its lowest in the morning, right?
Well don’t panic, there is a reason for it, so let’s explore why morning blood sugar is often higher. And then we’ll discuss what you can do to help lower blood sugar in the morning.
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CHAPTERS
3:32 The primary cause of high morning levels
8:12 Other potential contributors
9:57 Dietary solutions
13:59 Lifestyle solutions
14:46 Proven therapeutic solutions
19:40 Bringing it all together
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Why Is Blood Sugar High In The Morning?
Although it would seem logical that your body would have the lowest blood glucose level in the morning, this often isn’t the case for the following 6 reasons.
1. Glucose Happens 24/7
All the cells in the body need glucose to fuel their function, even when we sleep.
Therefore the liver can produce sugar (glucose) by breaking down body stores (glycogen), a process called glycogenolysis. The liver can also manufacture sugar (glucose) from amino acids (proteins) in a process called gluconeogenesis.
Image courtesy: University of California
These processes ensure the body and brain have adequate fuel so they can continue to go about their functions.
The point is: glucose production in the body will still occur when you don’t eat or if you skip a meal because the body always maintains glucose at a certain level in order to function.
2. Hormones Raise Blood Glucose (the Dawn Phenomenon)
Around 3-4 am each morning, there are a collection of counter regulatory hormones that are signaled in the body: glucagon, epinephrine, growth hormone, and cortisol, which result in a rise in blood sugar.
This change in hormones occurs to stimulate our awakening, to get us moving and to give us energy. This is referred to as the Dawn Phenomenon or Dawn Effect.
This is in fact a ‘normal’ response. This occurs in everyone, diabetic or not.
However, if you have diabetes or prediabetes there is one additional factor that impacts both the overnight glucose production and the rise in glucose with cortisol, and that is decreased insulin production or decreased utilization of insulin.
3. Decreased Insulin Production or Utilization of Insulin
Because most people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes have either decreased insulin levels or decreased utilization of insulin, there is either not enough insulin being produced to bring the rising blood sugar levels down, even during the night when you are sleeping.
In this scenario, your body is still producing glucose, your hormones are still doing their thing, but insulin production is low so your body is unable to couteract the effects of the glucose and hormone change.
The other scenario is that your levels of insulin resistance are preventing effective utilization of insulin, which results in high levels. You may be producing sufficient insulin, even during the night, but your cells are not opening in response to insulin, therefore glucose remains in the bloodstream.
4. Hypoglycemia known as the Somogyi Effect
This is less common but in some people with diabetes, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can occur while you are sleeping.
The Somogyi effect is more common in diabetics who are insulin dependent. It’s when your body’s glucose levels decrease quite significantly overnight (nocturnal hypoglycemia) and as a result your emergency system is activated. This sends messages to your hormones and organs to stimulate more glucose production to help raise your levels.
If you’re insulin dependent and trying to identify why your blood sugar is so high in the morning, you might want to wake yourself up during the night to test your levels, just in case this might be your situation and your insulin dose needs to be adjusted, for instance, implementing a long-acting insulin. Or in some cases, people may choose to use a continuous insulin pump.
You can read more about the Somogyi effect here.
5. Poor Food Choices
Poor food choices has a profound impact on your blood glucose and A1c levels, and therefore your early morning levels too.
Regardless of the time of day, poor food choices will impact your glucose levels negatively.
Your goal is to clean up your diet, and stick to eating recommended foods that support good blood sugar control.
6. Poor Overall Glucose Control
If your daily averages are coming in well above the normal healthy range for blood sugar levels, chances are your fasting levels are going to be high as well.
Good blood sugar control means keeping your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. And if you can keep them within the healthy range, that’s even better.
You need to know your numbers…
Aim for fasting levels:
- Between 70-100 mg/dL or 4-5.6 mmol/l (normal/optimal)
- 70-110 mg/dL or 4-6 mmol/l (considered good control)
- 70-130 mg/dL or 4-7.2 mmol/l (more liberal, but realistic for many)
- 2 hrs post meal the ideal is under 140 mg/dl or 7.8 mmol/l – the lower your postprandial blood glucose is post meal (for instance 120/ 6.7), the better.
There is some variation in numbers worldwide and your physician may also set you more stringent goals, or more lenient goals.
The point is: keep an eye on your numbers. If you’ve constantly got numbers that are running high during the day, chances are they are going to be even higher in the mornings.
Your goal is to bring your blood sugar levels within a healthy range, then naturally the morning levels do come down as well.
Still, even when you have good control of your daily levels, those morning numbers may still be a little high.
So what can you do? Let’s look at some proven strategies.
Lifestyle Strategies To Lower Morning Blood Sugar Levels
The truth is, that despite the fact we know the Dawn Phenomenon exists, and worsens morning blood sugar in those with diabetes and prediabetes, researchers still haven’t solved exactly how to lower morning levels.
However, try some of the following methods to see if they work for you. Every person is different and while there is no one proven method for lowering morning levels, many people do report one, or a combination of the following helps.
Apple Cider Vinegar & Cheese Before Bed
One small study found that having 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 oz (28 g) cheese (which is just 1 slice cheese) before bed may help reduce morning glucose by 4% to 6%.
Cheese on it’s own may reduce it by 2% but the acetic acid in the vinegar exerts additional positive influence. The best apple cider vinegar to use is this one by Braggs. If you can’t stomach the vinegar, you can also purchase capsules. As for best cheese, cheddar is one of the best choices here, though you could try other options if you wish.
*NOTE: this tip alone is proving to help many people.
TESTIMONIALS:
“After 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar & 1 oz cheese last night, my FBS in the morning is 98. It works!” ~Dianne
“I tried the vinegar and cheese before bed. It actually worked. My fasting reading was lower this morning. Thanks!” ~Michelle
Try it yourself: 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (mixed in some water) with 1 oz (28 g) cheese (which is just 1 slice cheese) before bed.
Have a Bedtime Snack
The best type of snack is a protein/fat snack combined, not something high in carbs.
Here are a few ideas:
- A tablespoon of natural peanut butter (great on pieces of celery for some fiber filling goodness)
- A small piece of chicken with avocado or 5 olives
- A small handful of macadamia nuts
- A couple of slices of cheese
Sleep Soundly
Make sure you get a good restful sleep every day because lack of sleep can increase cortisol production (your key stress hormone) and this pushes glucose levels higher. Sleep quality has a big influence on blood sugar levels.
Avoid Alcohol
Although drinking alcohol might seem relaxing it is best to steer clear of it because it’s actually a stimulant and prevents deep REM sleep.
Eat Protein In The Morning
To help bring blood sugar levels down, eat something when you get up but make sure it’s a protein – or a balanced protien/fat/veggie breakfast such as a mixed veggie egg scramble.
If you go and eat loads of carbs for breakfast when your blood glucose is already high, it will only push it up further. The message here is: toast and cereals are often the worst offenders.
Eat Well Every Day
Morning blood sugar levels are all tied up with everything else you do throughout the day.
And one of the best ways to to manage your diabetes or prediabetes is to eat a healthy diet every day – eat the right type of carbs, eat the right amount of carbs, and minimize the most problematic foods – the high carb offenders: sugar, bread, rice, pasta, cereals, and potatoes.
The food you eat has a direct impact on your blood sugar and A1c levels. And the more controlled you can keep your blood sugars overall, the better your morning sugars will be as well.
You’ll find plenty of diet resources on our website. And if you need further help, consider joining as a member.
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Supplements to Help Lower Morning Blood Sugar Levels
A variety of supplements have been shown to be effective in reducing fasting glucose levels.
Cinnamon
The average results from two months of cinnamon supplementation at about 3g/day is a reduction in fasting blood glucose by 11.8 mg/dl (0.66 mmol/l).
Polyphenols in cinnamon provide many benefits such as enhancing insulin signaling, improving glucose transport into cells, and reducing insulin resistance.
Chromium
A review of chromium supplementation found that fasting blood glucose can be reduced by 9 mg/dl (0.5 mmol/l) to 31 (1.72 mmol/l).
Researchers suggest this is due to enhancement of insulin action.
Chromium
Chromium Liquid
Garlic
Taking approximately 300 mg of garlic powder for 8-24 weeks has been shown to reduce fasting blood glucose by approximately 35.8 mg/dl (2 mmol/l).
Researchers suggest garlic helps enhance insulin sensitivity, exerts insulin-like activity, enhances pancreatic beta cell function and inhibits carbohydrate metabolism.
L-Carnosine
L-carnosine 1000 mg per day for 12 weeks showed a 13.1 mg/dL (0.7 mmol/l) reduction in fasting blood glucose levels.
L-carnosine is naturally found in muscle tissue and when taken as a supplement helps modify glucose metabolism, provides antioxidant, protects against glycation and reduces inflammation.
Aloe Vera
A review of aloe vera found a reduction in fasting glucose levels by 46.6 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/l). Aloe vera was either taken by supplement 50-300 mg per day, or juice 15 – 30 mL.
Although the exact mechanisms are unclear, proposed mechanisms include the expression of the genes related to glucose metabolism and reduced insulin resistance. Aloe vera contains over 75 active components, some of which are trace elements of chromium, magnesium, manganese, and zinc that are important in the metabolism of glucose.
Aloe Vera Bio-Active
Aloe Vera Juice
Berberine
The effects of berberine on fasting blood sugar levels is very impressive. When people with type 2 diabetes were given 500 mg of berberine per day, 3 times per day, for 13 weeks, fasting blood glucose reduced by 68 mg/dL (3.78 mmol/l).
Berberine has many potent glucose-lowering properties. If you’d like to learn more about it, we’ve written about berberine extensively over here.
Many of the above supplements have also been shown to control blood sugar overall, along with lowering A1c, as well as providing several other benefits.
The best rule of thumb here is not to go out and take every single supplement, but try taking one supplement for a time and see if it exerts any benefits for you. If not you can try exchanging it for another one to evaluate its effects.
Always be aware that any blood sugar lowering supplements can potentially cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). You should always seek medical advice before supplementing, especially if taking medications.
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Conclusion
Unfortunately there is no one size fits all solution to solve the high blood sugar in the morning dilemma. Sometimes people can do everything possible and still have morning levels that always come in a little high.
Hopefully in the near future, researchers will uncover a way we can solve the issue more permanently. But in the meantime, the best thing you can do is bring your daily levels down within a healthy range and maintain them there, as this will also influence morning levels.
Second to that you can try some of the strategies above to see if they make a difference for you.
If you’ve found something specific that works for you, please share in the comments below so others can try your tips, too!
Transcript
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Hello, everyone, Dr Jedha here and welcome to episode 38. I’m thrilled to have you join me today for a very popular topic that many of you have asked about: morning blood sugar levels.
Morning blood sugar levels, also known as fasting blood sugar, are the glucose levels in your blood when you first wake up, before eating or drinking anything. Many people with type 2 diabetes notice that their blood sugar is higher in the morning, and it can be quite puzzling.
For instance, Margaret asked: Why are morning readings higher than lunch and dinner?
Sue asked: Why are morning levels high, why do they happen and how to control them?
Myra said: My issues are before breakfast my readings are between 101-122 what can I do to stay between 70-100?
Marcy, a person I was working with, always had 3 big question marks against her morning readings.
Yep, without a doubt high blood sugar in the morning, it does stump many people. Logically it doesn’t make sense. If you haven’t eaten all night you’d expect your levels to be lower right, not higher? So what exactly is the deal here?
This is a crucial subject because understanding your blood sugar patterns can make a significant difference in managing your diabetes effectively.
It’s also important because elevated morning blood sugar levels can impact your overall blood sugar control throughout the day, influencing your energy levels, mood, and even your long-term health. By understanding the factors that affect your morning blood sugar and learning how to manage them, or even better yet, ways to treat the high levels, you can take better control of your diabetes and improve your quality of life.
In today’s episode, we’ll explore why morning blood sugar levels tend to be higher, the common causes behind this phenomenon, and most importantly, practical strategies you can use to manage and lower those morning readings. So, let’s get started and unravel the mystery.
Firstly, let me just say that your high levels are not your fault, and don’t panic, there is a reason for it, and it’s called the dawn phenomenon or dawn effect.
The dawn phenomenon is a term used to describe an early morning rise in blood sugar levels, typically occurring between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. This rise happens naturally, even if you haven’t eaten anything. For people living with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, this can result in higher than desired blood sugar readings first thing in the morning, which can be frustrating and confusing, as many of you well know.
The reason that it happens – this dawn phenomenon – all comes down to your body’s natural hormonal rhythms and the body’s natural circadian clock. During the early morning hours, your body prepares to wake up by releasing certain hormones. These hormones include growth hormone, cortisol, glucagon, and catecholamines like adrenaline and noradrenaline. This change in hormones occurs to stimulate our awakening, to get us moving and to give us energy. During this process, these hormones trigger the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream. That’s right, the liver can produce glucose by breaking down body stores called glycogen, or by manufacturing glucose from proteins. In any case, glucose levels rise to give us energy to get moving. The body then compensates for this early morning glucose release by producing more insulin, which keeps blood sugar levels within the normal range.This is in fact a ‘normal’ response. This occurs in everyone, whether they have diabetes or not.
But in prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, there is one additional factor that impacts both the overnight glucose production and the rise in glucose, and that is decreased insulin production or decreased utilization of insulin. Decreased utilization of insulin is the most common reason. Even though your body may be producing sufficient insulin, even during the night, your cells are not opening in response to insulin, due to insulin resistance. As a result, you experience higher than normal blood sugar levels in the morning.
Another possible, though less common cause of high morning blood sugar levels is known as the Somogyi effect, also known as rebound hyperglycemia. This effect is more common in people taking insulin.
The Somogyi effect occurs when your blood sugar drops too low during the night. As a result your emergency system is activated. This sends messages to your hormones and organs to stimulate more glucose production to help raise your levels, leading to higher than normal blood sugar levels in the morning.
While both the dawn phenomenon and the Somogyi effect can cause high morning blood sugar, they have different triggers. The dawn phenomenon is a natural rise in blood sugar due to hormonal changes, whereas the Somogyi effect is a rebound from low blood sugar during the night.
For most people it will be due to the dawn phenomenon but if you’re taking insulin and trying to identify why your blood sugar is so high in the morning, you might want to wake yourself up during the night to test your levels, just in case this might be your situation and your insulin dose needs to be adjusted.
Okay, so now that we’ve established the primary cause of high morning levels there are also other factors that contribute to high morning levels as well.
If your daily averages are coming in well above the normal healthy range for blood sugar levels, chances are your fasting levels are going to be high as well.
What you eat and when you eat can significantly impact your morning blood sugar levels. Regardless of the time of day, poor food choices will impact your glucose levels negatively. Then there’s other things to consider, for example, a large meal or a high-carbohydrate meal late in the evening can lead to elevated blood sugar in the morning. Your body might still be processing the food overnight, leading to higher glucose levels by morning.
The timing and dosage of your diabetes medications, including insulin, can also affect your morning blood sugar. If your medication isn’t timed correctly or if the dose isn’t right, it can lead to fluctuations in your blood sugar levels.
Physical activity plays a crucial role in blood sugar management. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to higher blood sugar levels, as exercise helps your body use insulin more effectively.
Stress and poor sleep quality can also contribute to high morning blood sugar levels. Stress triggers the release of hormones like cortisol, which can raise blood sugar. Similarly, inadequate or poor-quality sleep can disrupt your body’s natural rhythms and impact blood sugar regulation.
So a main contributor to higher morning levels is the dawn phenomenon, which is something you can’t really control as it’s a natural body response. But there are also things you have within your control and can influence and there are also proven strategies to lower morning levels too, so let’s cover some of these things now.
Let’s start with dietary adjustments, which as I always say: diet and nutrition are your number one treatment strategy and that’s certainly true for morning levels as well.
It’s important to remember that the quality of your overall diet and nutrition significantly influences your daily blood sugar levels, which in turn affect your morning readings. So the more you focus on getting your daily numbers in the healthy range, the better your morning levels will be too – it’s all connected! We’ve covered what to eat to treat diabetes back in episode 6, so we’re not going to get into too much detail on that, please listen to episode 6 if you need more info. But I guess the key thing here is that if your daily levels, for instance your after meal levels are coming in over 140 mg/dl or 7.8 mmol/l, work on that as a primary goal as well as it will offset on your morning levels as well.
A couple of important things to consider in addition to your overall diet and nutrition are the importance of a balanced evening meal, not eating too late, and avoiding high carb snacks at night.
Having a balanced evening meal is essential for maintaining stable blood sugar levels throughout the night. A meal that includes a mix of protein, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables can help prevent spikes and crashes in blood sugar. Really, all meals are best when they contain a balanced blend of protein, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables. You don’t want to be loading up on too many carbs, any time of day really but particularly for your evening meal, don’t load up on too many carbs.
Don’t eat dinner too late. It’s generally recommended to consume the majority of your food before 8 PM. Late-night snacking, especially on high-carbohydrate foods, can significantly impact your morning blood sugar levels. To avoid this, try to limit late-night snacks, but if you must snack on something choose options that are lower in carbohydrates and high in protein or healthy fats. For example, a small handful of nuts or a piece of cheese can be a better choice than cookies, candy or chips.
If you want to try restricting your eating window to 10 hours during the day, for example, have your evening meal at 6PM, then your breakfast at 8AM, this can also help lower fasting levels by around 8 mg/dl or 0.4 mmol/l.
So just to recap that, your overall diet and nutrition and your daily levels are important to morning levels. Having a balanced lower carb meal at night before 8pm is best. Limiting late night snacking and restricting your eating window to 10 hours, can all have an influence on morning levels.
Then of course, lifestyle factors can support improvements in morning levels too. Make sure you get a good restful sleep every day because lack of sleep can increase cortisol production (your key stress hormone and one of the dawn hormones) and this pushes glucose levels higher. Keep a cap on stress and get regular exercise – again, all key factors in our overall health and in blood sugar too.
That’s the thing: morning blood sugar levels are all tied up with everything else you do throughout the day; and day in and day out, so both diet and lifestyle are important considerations.
In addition to keeping overall lifestyle routines on track, there are some scientifically-proven strategies that can help.
One really easy thing to try that was discovered in a small study and seems to work for many of our members is to have apple cider vinegar and cheese before bed. The study found that 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 oz (28 g) cheddar cheese (which is just 1 slice cheese) before bed may help reduce morning glucose by 4% to 6%. Cheese on its own may reduce it by 2% but the acetic acid in the vinegar exerts additional positive influence.
We’ve had many members like Vicki’s husband use this method with success so try it yourself: 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed in some water with 1 slice of cheddar cheese before bed.
A variety of supplements have been shown to be effective in reducing fasting glucose levels.
I’ll go over these briefly here but if you’re one of our members we have a whole guide on therapeutic supplements for fasting levels, so we’ll put that in the show notes in the members site with episode 38. And if you’re not one of our members, we’ll provide a short table listing some of these in the show notes on our website alongside episode 38, and links to some recommended supplements.
So, berberine, which we covered in episode 21 is effective for helping to lower morning levels, over 13 weeks the average reduction is 68 mg/dl or 3.78 mmol/l so that’s a pretty impressive reduction. Remember I always include the mg or mmol because it depends where you live in the world, and we have members and listeners from all parts of the globe. Okay, so when it comes to the supplements berberine has the best outcomes for fasting levels, that I’ve seen so far.
Aloe vera supplementation or juice has been shown to lower fasting levels by an average of around 46 mg/dl or 2.6 mmol, that’s a good outcome too. Garlic taken for 8-24 weeks has been shown to lower fasting levels by an average 35.8 mg/dl (2 mmol/l), another good outcome. L-carnosine has been shown to lower fasting levels by an average 13 mg/dl or 0.7 millimoles over 12 weeks.Then there’s things like chromium and cinnamon that have also shown benefits for fasting levels, though the outcomes weren’t as big as the ones I’ve just mentioned.
Members, find the guide for therapeutic strategies for fasting inside the members library alongside episode 38; non members head to our website for a brief overview in the show notes.
Other things to consider are your medications, do they need adjusting? Talk to your doctor about the timing or dosage of your insulin or other diabetes medications to see if any changes might influence your morning levels.
And we also covered regular exercise, stress management with mindfulness, or yoga for example, and sleep quality with consistent 7-9 hours per night.
To wrap up, today we delved into the intricacies of morning blood sugar levels, a concern that many of you face. We started by explaining the dawn phenomenon, the natural hormonal process that elevates blood sugar in the early morning hours. This is a common cause for higher morning readings, due to the release of growth hormone, cortisol, and catecholamines.
We also touched on the Somogyi effect, a less common but possible cause of high morning blood sugar, particularly in those taking insulin. This rebound hyperglycemia occurs when blood sugar drops too low during the night, triggering a counter-response that raises blood sugar levels by morning.
Additionally, we discussed other factors that can influence your morning blood sugar, such as diet, meal timing, medication, physical activity, stress, and sleep quality. Maintaining a balanced diet, particularly in the evening, avoiding late-night high-carb snacks, and ensuring regular physical activity can all play a significant role in managing your blood sugar levels.
We also highlighted some practical strategies, such as consulting with your healthcare provider about medication adjustments, using stress management techniques, and ensuring good sleep hygiene, plus, the benefits of using therapeutic supplements.
If you give any of these a try and see improvements, drop me an email and let me know, I’d love to hear about it.
And if you enjoyed today’s info, please leave the podcast a 5-star rating or review. Your ratings help us reach more people who could benefit from our discussions, so I’d really appreciate it if you could take the time.
In the next episode, we’re diving deep into the fascinating world of magnesium and its numerous health benefits for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.
As always, take care, and have a great week.
Dr Jedha, over and out.
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References
Davis, R., Rogers, M., Coates, A.M. et al. The Impact of Meal Timing on Risk of Weight Gain and Development of Obesity: a Review of the Current Evidence and Opportunities for Dietary Intervention. Curr Diab Rep 22, 147–155 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-022-01457-0
Rovira-Llopis, S., Luna-Marco, C., Perea-Galera, L. et al. Circadian alignment of food intake and glycaemic control by time-restricted eating: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 25, 325–337 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-023-09853-x
Peeke PM, Greenway FL, Billes SK, Zhang D, Fujioka K. Effect of time restricted eating on body weight and fasting glucose in participants with obesity: results of a randomized, controlled, virtual clinical trial. Nutr Diabetes. 2021 Jan 15;11(1):6. doi: 10.1038/s41387-021-00149-0. PMID: 33446635; PMCID: PMC7809455.
Andriessen C, Fealy CE, Veelen A, van Beek SMM, Roumans KHM, Connell NJ, Mevenkamp J, Moonen-Kornips E, Havekes B, Schrauwen-Hinderling VB, Hoeks J, Schrauwen P. Three weeks of time-restricted eating improves glucose homeostasis in adults with type 2 diabetes but does not improve insulin sensitivity: a randomised crossover trial. Diabetologia. 2022 Oct;65(10):1710-1720. doi: 10.1007/s00125-022-05752-z. Epub 2022 Jul 25. PMID: 35871650; PMCID: PMC9477920.
Wang JS, Lee IT, Lee WJ, Lin SD, Su SL, Tu ST, Lin SY, Sheu WH. The dawn phenomenon in type 2 diabetes: its association with glucose excursions and changes after oral glucose-lowering drugs. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2021 Aug 10;12:20406223211033674. doi: 10.1177/20406223211033674. PMID: 34394904; PMCID: PMC8361546.
https://www.eatingwell.com/article/290848/morning-highs-how-to-lower-morning-blood-sugar
Andrea M. White, PHD;Carol S. Johnston, PHD. Vinegar Ingestion at Bedtime Moderates Waking Glucose Concentrations in Adults With Well-Controlled Type 2 Diabetes
Mohammad Abdollahi. Effect of chromium on glucose and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes; a meta-analysis review of randomized trials.
Li-qiong Hou MSc. Garlic intake lowers fasting blood glucose: meta-analysisof randomized controlled trials
Rahat Kumar. Antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory and adenosine deaminase– lowering effects of garlic in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with obesity.
Shiva Houjeghani a. l-Carnosine supplementation attenuated fasting glucose, triglycerides, advanced glycation end products, and tumor necrosis factor–α levels in patients with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial.
William R. Dick. Reduction of Fasting Blood Glucose and Hemoglobin A1c Using Oral Aloe Vera: A Meta-Analysis.
Now that my email is FINALLY working, I can check in! I’m going to try the apple cider vinegar tonight and see what happens. It is really difficult to figure out why sometimes my numbers are higher than others when my prescription for test strips is to check twice weekly.
Stick to the guidelines Rosie and you’ll likely see the patterns changing, even though you’re only testing twice a week.
You guys are a God sent, Thanks so much for the information 😊
As I get dehydrated overnight, I wonder if that wouldn’t push my FG up a bit. Generally, when I wake up, I drink a half liter of water and then measure about 30 minutes later, but before I eat anything. This keeps me in the 90’s.
Am I cheating?
Goblush,
That is not cheating at all! It is important to stay hydrated to keep your blood sugar in control. Try making sure you drink enough throughout the day so you are not playing catch up in the morning.
Fbs 143, pp 152.
Dinner lettuce wrap with 2.5 oz fresh turkey breast & mayo, 2 each carrots/celery sticks, 5 olives.
Thanks for checking in Miriam.
Can I use ground cinnamon instead
Hi Barb, you can use ground cinnamon. The study we are referring to in this article used 3g of cinnamon per day which is a little over a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
HI this is liz checking in. Today my fasting number was 97.I am trying out some new recipes. I love to cook and try new foods. For breakfast today I tried something really different. I am trying to incorporate more veggies into my meal plan so I layered a
Breakfast casserole with zucchini, cheese,ham,and eggs. It very good and very diabetic friendly. Oh and I baked in the oven for 25 minutes.
Delish – Thanks for checking in Liz!
hi! sometimes i have high blood sugar 130-180 in the morning but this is not constant process. i don’t know what is this dawn effect or other thing because it does not happen all the time. sometimes when i check my sugar at 3am it is low and i have snacks but sometimes it is high such as 138, any ideas what to do? or what is this?
Hi Katie,
I would revisit the strategies mentioned in the article. There are numerous reasons it could be high sometimes- sleep habits, stress, and of course, what you ate that evening.
Hello,
I am getting extremely frustrated as I am on januvia 100ml every morning and once a week ozempic .25 – I am not overweight, I am physically fit, exercise 5x a week. I have been pre-diabetic
Since age 60 and now at age 70 I am diabetic. I eat very low carbs, no sugar, bread, pasta, potatoes or rice. My last A1C was 6.2 and my morning blood sugars are usually 127-160 – during the day 127-147 . I hear about all these people getting off their diabetes meds and my doctor wants to keep adding meds for me! He said most of his patients are on 4-6 meds daily! I recently was on vacation and ate everything I wanted including sourdough bread, pizza, and ice cream daily for 5 days. However, I walked between 8-12 miles a day and one day even 17 Miles. My blood sugar reading we’re actually lower
. Morning 117 and afternoon 2 hrs after a high carb dim sum lunch, 130! I can not keep the pace of 8 miles a day but I do generally walk/run 2-4 miles a day! I also eat low carb sugar free snacks in the evening, before I go to bed and manytime grab a small snack, either, nuts, cheese or sugar free chocolate in the middle of the night! Yet when I get up my readings are always high! I’ve tried cutting out the middle of the night snacks but I can’t seem to go back to sleep when I am feeling hungry! I need some help and don’t know where or who to ask!
I am sorry you are feeling so overwhelmed! Everyone is different when it comes to their blood sugar management and there are many factors that will influence your readings. Your current A1c of 6.2% is pretty good! It’s great you’re eating a lower carb diet, I would continue to focus on this but you may also want to explore other aspects of your diet that may influence your blood sugars. Are you eating enough fiber? Are your meals balanced with enough protein and fat? Check out our guidelines here on a low carbohydrate diet to review the basics and see if you are missing anything.
I myself have tried most of your suggestions that I bred completely through this subject post and Dawn Phenomenon. I’m still scratching my head because none of it has made any difference. protein before bed and have tried a small teaspoon of peanut butter did nothing but raise it more. I’m stuck !
My diet and how I eat during the day for the most part are good 2 to 3 hours after meals still fairly good or perfect. I know I’m eating right. Went from 83 before bed and woke up to 158. With late-night protein snack.
Don’t give up, Debbie, we just need to keep experimenting! Since the late night snack isn’t working, I would suggest cutting it out. You’re body may not need the extra protein/calories to sustain itself overnight, and depending on what exactly you are picking, this may be contributing to the rise. My personal favorite tip from this article is the apple cider vinegar prior to bed; if you haven’t given that one a try then I definitely suggest you do.
Another option could be trialing some natural supplements such as cinnamon or chromium which you can read more about in the article hyperlinked into this sentence. Make sure you are getting enough quality sleep each night as that is crucial to normal sugar metabolism. Let me know if you still need further suggestions.
With dawn phenomenon, I get moving about 4:30am, get to the gym, work out with a trainer about 30 minutes 3 times a week. The other 2 or 3 days I walk using a treadmill 30 minutes briskly. Would it be best to test bs before exercising since it is early morning? Once I get home it is shower, dress, breakfast, off to work by 7am
It would be interesting to know your number prior to the gym, but one thing to consider is timing of your last meal. For a true “fasting” test, it should be at least 8 hours of no food, so you would want to ensure you have finished all meals and snacks before 8pm the night prior. Ultimately the best plan may be to check at 4:30 on some mornings and at 7am on other mornings in order to have a better understanding of your body and daily control.
Thank you will try taking readings as suggested
Ella morning BG 153 ate egg & cheese l bagal with peanut butter 2 sausage a glass of almond milk 1half cup strawberries
After Breaksfast 182
lunch ate 1 low carm wrap with tuna and cheese slice of tomatoe lettuce carrots with ranch dressing small tangerine.BG 134
Dimnet ate Mexican zucchini and meat balls
BG 153
I am monitoring to see if am estimg to much bread it low carbs have 10 to 4 g of carbs it says on label , so os that too many carbs in the bread , i can’t fimd the 0 carbs until i get it from you or sgn in to make it myself
Hi Ella, thanks for the check in. Since you are a member we are now checking in on the members site. Login at: https://dmpmembers.com/login and navigate to ‘Me’ to find the daily check ins.
Hello Jedha. It’s Mark from the “challenge”. I consistently run mg/dL in the 70’s to low 100’s during the day and evening before bed, but pop up to 130’s to 150’s at morning fasting test. I”ve been trying to eat a small snack before bed, usually a wedge of cheese or a tablespoon of healthy peanut butter which seems to be helping with the morning “dawn phenomenon” but would like to do more. I’ve been looking at the info on this webpage and am curious about using supplements such as garlic or aloe vera or including apple cider to my cheese snack. These seem to be “over time” and so I’m wondering if it’s necessary to try to stick to one regime or can it be varied? Garlic one night, aloe vera another, apple cider with cheese on another? Also, I notice that the supplements seem to be much higher in doseage than the noted impacts of the item (Example from above: “Taking approximately 300 mg of garlic powder for 8-24 weeks has been shown to reduce fasting blood glucose by approximately 35.8 mg/dl (2 mmol/l).” Yet the supplements advertised are doseages of 1000 mg and 1200 mg.) My question is whether the higher supplement doseage might drive the dawn phenomenon into a hypoglycemic condition if taken daily? Final question: How does the “dawn phenomenon” impact the A1c% test? Or does it? A1c% testing always follows fasting and usually is in the morning. I’ve ordered some of the supplements and plan on seeing their impact on my system.
And thank you for the information on your websites. I’ve found DMP information and recipes to be a incredibly great help with my efforts to control my type II diabetes and improve my diet and overall health. I’ve been type II for 10 years now and been on and off with my efforts to control it and realize that it was mostly due to ignorance and difficulty finding truly helpful information and plans to make the transition to a healthy diet realistic for a busy life-style. Your website has been a major contributor to my being able to stay on course. Thank YOU!
I would suggest sticking with one regime at first because often you may not see an immediate result, sometimes you will of course, but not always, so then, with so many variables it can be harder to pin point what works and what doesn’t. It’s difficult to say with supplement dosages, it depends on the individual. A supplement can be safe taken at the manufacturers recommended dosage, however you should always get the advice of your healthcare team. As for A1c, it does and doesn’t. A1c is an average of the amount of glucose attached to your blood cells over approximately 3 months. Our daily blood sugar levels always fluctuate based on foods you eat, stress, exercise, illness etc. So the A1c is more objective because it’s an average. Technically fasting blood sugar does form a part of the averages, but if your everyday blood sugars are in the normal range, in most cases it doesn’t influence A1c.
And thanks for your kind words Mark. It’s great to hear we’ve been a positive part of your health journey – that’s why we do what we do. 🙂
Its been 3 Years my morning Level comes around 130-150, HbA1c comes between 6.3-6.5 (Every 6 month checkup) I do not have any issue during the day time and I am keeping it like 120-140. Also Even after breakfast the reading comes down .. to 110-120 .. I did some reading on internet and found this is the effect of Dawn Effect. I tried taking ACV, Protein at bed time but nothing is helping to reduce the morning readings.. please suggest.
Some research suggests ACV works best when taken with (cheddar) cheese. Make sure you are getting quality sleep at night, limit cell-phone/computer use prior to bed and aim for 8 hours daily. You could also check with your doctor to see if he or she thinks you might benefit from taking an evening nutrition supplement such as the ones discussed in this article.
My random blood sugar test with fasting is 127 and hba1c is 5.5 .. my doctor told it’s nothing to worry.. please tell me is this acceptable.
You’re A1c level is right on the edge of acceptable levels; you’re fasting level is a bit elevated.
A1c Goal: < 5.7% (5.7%-6.4% may indicate prediabetes; >6.4% indicates diabetes.)
Fasting: <100 mg/dL is ideal
You're best bet is to start making small changes now, before you even approach prediabetic territory. The most important thing to remember is carbohydrates are the nutrient that most effect blood sugar levels, based on research we encourage you to limit carb intake and consume foods primarily from this list.
This article will also provide some guidance on specifically lowering morning sugar levels. Best of luck!
Hi. My doctor has noted my morning blood sugar levels have hovered at 99-102 for years, but in 7 years they have not gone higher. I am 48, 5’7″ 160#, eat balanced diet, low carbs, exercise daily. No sugar drinks etc. Yet when I had my fasting bloodwork done recently for insurance, they classified me as high risk because my blood sugar was 102. Feeling pretty frustrated. 2 hours after eating my levels are never higher than 120. Thoughts?
All the readings you describe sound pretty good to me! Whether you are diabetic, prediabetic, or without any official diagnosis your goal is to keep your numbers as close to normal as possible. Ideally under 100mg/dL fasting, and under 140 mg/dL after meals. Keep up the great work!
My blood sugars range from 108 to 125 I have cut all sugar out my diet and I’m terrified. I get shakey when I’m hungry and I totally freak. Are those numbers diabetic range?
The answer depends on the timing of when you are checking your blood sugar. If those are fasting levels, then they may be considered pre-diabetes levels (100-125 mg/dL) but if those are random levels or post meal levels then they would be considered normal (not diabetic range). Find more info on blood sugar ranges here.
In regards to you feeling shaky with cutting out sugar, it can happen, especially if you cut it out fast as it can produce temporary hypoglycemia which is when your blood sugar is too low. Make sure you have replaced the simple sugars with lots of low carb vegetables, healthy fats, proteins and lower carb fruits.