It seems strange to be able to keep blood sugar levels in control throughout the day and have morning blood sugar high, right?
I mean, it doesn’t seem logical. After all, you haven’t eaten anything so it should be lower shouldn’t it?
It’s a common assumption and it would seem logical, but it is common for people with type 2 diabetes to have high blood sugar in the morning.
Why?
Because your body continues to produce glucose even when you don’t eat. It’s called gluconeogenesis.
This is a natural process for all of us. But in diabetes many people have increased gluconeogensis.
Another reason is that cortisol (our stress hormone) is the hormone that slowly increases in levels from around 3 am onwards to reach it’s peak early in the morning. Cortisol has a direct influence on blood sugar levels too – elevating them.
Still, there are practical things you can do to lower morning blood sugar levels, here’s how…
How to Lower Morning Blood Sugar
Lowering morning highs has a lot to do with your overall health, diet, and lifestyle and usually incorporates a number of different factors.
Put some of the following things into practice, give it some time, and no doubt you will start seeing an improvement.
Just remember, the number you’re aiming for with fasting blood sugar is between 90-110 (5-6.1).
Try 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 reduced morning glucose by 4% compared to 2% when the participants only had cheese and water.
People that had a typical fasting glucose above 130 mg/dl or 7.2 mmol/l had an even better result of 6% decrease in morning blood sugar levels.
It’s not fully understood why vinegar has such a beneficial effect on blood sugar but it seems that the acetic acid in the vinegar exerts the positive influence.
The best apple cider vinegar to use is this one by Braggs.
Have A Protein/ Fat Combined Snack
Many people find that a bedtime snack helps lower morning highs.
This is most likely because it shortens the ‘fasting’ time and may slow down the livers own glucose production. If you’re not using the apple cider vinegar method above, try having a mix of protein and fat combined before going to bed.
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
These are all simple snacks that contain both protein and fat.
Enjoy A Good Dinner
Make sure you eat something substantial for dinner, a meal high in fiber and low in carbs is best – check out some of our free recipes.
It’s never a good idea to skip meals because this raises blood glucose levels. Remember that gluconeogenesis we talked about earlier? The liver will still produce glucose even if you don’t eat.
Get Good Sleep
Make sure you get a good restful sleep every day because lack of sleep can increase cortisol production (our key stress hormone) and this pushes glucose levels higher.
The importance of sleep in a healthy lifestyle is often underestimated – or hardly even spoken about for that matter.
Remove electronic items from your sleeping space. Minimize noise and light. And get to bed early. We all need those 8 hours to rest and restore.
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.
We just pointed out that lack of sleep can increase the production of our stress hormone cortisol, which also increases blood glucose. And overall, alcohol is just best kept to a minimum for better health.
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 protien/ veggie breakfast.
If you go and eat loads of carbs for breakfast – toast and cereals being the worst offenders – when your blood glucose is already high, it will only push it up further.
Try eating a delicious veggie egg scramble, egg “muffin” cups, or a quick berry protein smoothie.
Adopt A Healthy Morning Ritual
Developing a morning ritual is a great habit for a healthy mind and body and it will also help lower your morning blood sugar as well.
When you get up, have a small protein/ fat combined snack (as outlined above), then try doing some stretching or go for a short walk first thing in the morning – just 5-10 minutes to get moving.
Exercise improves insulin sensitivity and moves glucose out of the muscles and into the cells.
It’s often best to have that protein/ fat snack first though, before you do the exercise.
Eat Well Every Day
Morning blood sugar levels are all tied up with everything else you do throughout the day too.
You want to manage your diabetes and hormones by eating a healthy diet every day – eat the right type of carbs, eat the right amount of carbs, and minimize the most problematic foods – sugar, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes.
The more controlled you can keep your blood sugars overall, the better your morning sugars will be as well.
Lose A Bit Of Weight
Even a small amount of weight loss can help lower blood glucose, balance hormones, reduce inflammation and generally make you feel a whole lot better.
If you focus on eating well every day and doing a bit of exercise, the rest usually falls into place.
You could also give this weight loss and wellness drink a try – you’ll notice it has the all helpful apple cider vinegar in it – because it really does have an overall beneficial effect.
Speak To Your Physician
Make sure you speak to your physician and healthcare team about making dietary and lifestyle changes.
And, if you think your morning levels are way too high, or no matter what you do you can’t get them down, talk to your physician or health practitioner to see if you might need to alter your medication.
When it comes to lowering morning blood sugar levels, it really is a combination of things that can help.
Start with the apple cider vinegar and cheese before bed and see how that goes. Then, try working on all the other things in this list.
Give it some time and no doubt you will begin to see some great improvements.
Have you tried something else that worked? Have some comments you’d like to add? Leave them below and let’s chat about it.
I take most of my medication‘s at night. Will drinking the apple cider vinegar affect my other medication‘s like xigduo, Prestiq And omeprazole?
Hi Robin, Drinking apple cider vinegar is generally considered safe, but it can interact with certain medications. For example, ACV is acidic, and omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor that reduces stomach acid. There’s a possibility that taking ACV could counteract the effects of omeprazole, potentially leading to increased stomach acidity. Always be cautious if you notice any symptoms and speak to your doctor before making changes to your diet.
I’m type 2 pre diabetes, 58 and not over weight and I don’t take anymore medicine because it would drop my levels to 70mgl or below sometime when I was taking 1/2 metformin, so I talked to my doctor and was ordered to stop taking it but now I it control through diet and exercise but during the day my levels are between 70mgl-86mgl but when I wake up in the morning it is between 90-113 any ideas or suggestions because I want it to be more of a consistent level?
Thanks!
I would suggest reviewing some of the suggestions in this article – a lot of people find the apple cider vinegar + cheese before bed works wonders. Some people find taking cinnamon/ cinnamon tea before bed can help too. All in all it sounds like you are getting great results with your current regimen.
Do u just Apple Cider Vinegar straight or mix with water what is the ratio
1 TBS ACV mixed into 8oz water
I have type2 diabetes and take 1000 mg of metformin IR both morning and evening. I have been waking up at around 2am every morning for the past several months. I have trouble getting back to sleep. The last couple of nights I have taken a teaspoon of honey when I wake up and find it easier to get back to sleep. Any suggestions?
Have you ever checked your blood sugar at 2am? It sounds like you might be thinking your wake periods could be related to low blood sugar – which is entirely possible. I would start by checking your blood sugar on the nights you awake, and then work with your doctor to adjust meds and/or bed time snack if necessary.
I just take glipizide 10 MG everymorning
I have been taking my med’s every day and during the day my blood sugar levels are great, I watch what I eat and my morning blood sugar levels range from 89 to 114. I there something I can do besides the apple cider vinegar?
Hi Candida, your morning levels aren’t that high so no need to be too concerned. 70-100 is optimal, but up to 130 is acceptable too. The apple cider vinegar is the beneficial agent but there is info above of other supplements that can help as well. Always check with your doctor before supplementation.
I’m a first-time visitor. I’m impressed with your article’s pleasant and easy-to-understand presentation and applaud your suggestions on how to lower morning blood sugar. I’m excited to try these out.
However, I would appreciate seeing a date added. I find many writers on the internet never date their material. I’ll start reading only to find the information so outdated that it’s unusable, and then I get angry because I’ve wasted my time.
Yes, some info is applicable no matter its age but, in this day of exponential information growth, it doesn’t take but a few months (and sometimes only a few weeks) before it’s out of date. The medical field is constantly changing with new information, products, and procedures. Adding a date would be quite helpful. Thank you for a very interesting website!
Thanks for the feedback. Given the nature of our information, it is applicable no matter its age and updated regularly where it is not.
I have been taking 1tsp of Bragg apple cider n 1/2 lemon morning 3 times a week . I started taking it everyday but I started to ge pains in my legs for some reason . Dr said I have to drink more water. Should I take it @ night instead. It seams to help lower my sugar
I personally like to take mine at night, but any time that you can remember to squeeze it in will reap benefits. Not sure about the apple cider vinegar and legs pains… I wonder if it was truly related or just coincidental.
I’ve been diabetic for about 12yrs about a month ago i was in the hospital for a bad infection and high blood sugars. I went into a diabetic coma well I am home and doing good all but my FBS. They are really high. I usually eat around 6 and don’t eat again till the morning. My morning sugars are around 200-230. I’m not Metformin and I take cinnamon. What can I take other than acv to help lower them? I’m on a no sugar/low carb diet. It’s only been about 4 weeks since i’ve been out of the hospital. Please help I’m getting frustrated.
Do you check your blood sugar prior to bed? My first suggestion is to check prior to bed so that you can better determine if it’s your dinner meal that’s causing such a rise, or your body’s own fluctuation. If your blood sugar is high before even going to bed, then you may need to reconsider what you’re eating for dinner.
Aside from the ACV, which is often very effective for many of our members, a small protein/fat snack may be beneficial. This could be a slice or two of cheese, or a portion of nuts. Trying a snack may help especially if your blood sugar is within normal range after dinner and/or before bed.
In additional to cinnamon, other beneficial supplements are discussed in this article.
hello jedha, it seems like no matter what i do at night my morning blood levels are 135 to 139.
then at night 2 hours after my meal their 107 to 113. at night i might have a hand full of nuts
or a couple strawberries. i’ll try the cheese see if that works. i don’t like cider. anything else
you can suggest would be helpful.i’m 68 and just found out a month 1/2 ago that i’m type 2. i exercise and have lost 25 lbs in a month 1/2. trying to lose more. thank you for listening.
Give the cheese a try, I would definitely avoid strawberries (or any fruit) in the evenings- your best bet is to go for a protein/fat combined snack. And remember, if you decide to give the apple cider vinegar a try down the road it has to be Apple Cider Vinegar, not just the apple cider juice.
Of course I’d also encourage you to continue the exercise and weight loss!
What about Coconut vinegar.,.more gentle on GI..Will it work ? Also what kind of cheese ?
Apple cider vinegar specifically contains compounds that have been studied to exert this effect. Cheddar cheese is best.
Cheddar ?:}i believe It is most unhealthy one ..What about Goat sheep Cheese .feta ..or needs to be Hard one ?
The study done showing a lower blood sugar was conducted using cheddar. Other cheeses are also healthy to eat but have not been studied for their effectiveness of lowering morning blood sugar.
Lemon juice helps just as well. Pure lemon juice three Caps with every meal
Are used a liquid in the bottle pure lemon juice.
Try some lemon juices
Look in the supplement aisle
there is an apple cider vinegar pill. All the benefits without the nasty taste. I also take cinnamon pills, both are good for maintaining blood sugar. I personally take one of each per meal.
Glad to hear that works for you Lisa!
The Goli Apple cider pills each have 4 carbs in it. It says to take three or more a day that is 12 carbs, also the first ingredient in it is organic cane sugar. Is that ok?
No that is not ok Ellie. This supplement is all sugar, which is not needed. There are many betters ones available.