Diabetes can cause symptoms like excessive thirst, need to urinate a lot and tiredness. It can also increase the risk of serious problems in the eyes, the heart and the nerves. It is a lifelong condition that can affect your daily life. You may need to change your diet, take medicine, and have regular checkups.
The condition is caused by problems with a hormone in the body called insulin.
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It is often related to overweight wave inactivityor with a family history of type 2 diabetes.
Most diabetic patients they wake up almost every night at the same time, around 3 in the morning, due to a sudden rise in blood sugar level.
It is caused by one of two reasons: the effect Somogyi or the dawn phenomenon.
the dawn phenomenon
Since the body uses glucose for energy and to wake up in the morning, it is necessary have a little extra energy.
Therefore, according to Mayo Clinicthe body begins to use the stored glucose to prepare for the next day.
At the same time, the liver releases additional glucose into the bloodstream due to the growth hormone, cortisol and catecholamines.
For some, this is usually bothersome in the morning, around 3am, to prepare the body to wake up for the day.
While these events are occurring, the doses of your diabetes medicine taken one day before they start to disappear.
All these phenomena together lead to a rise in blood sugar level in the morning and cause the body to wake up.
The Somogyi Effect
The other cause of high blood sugar in the morning is due to the Somogyi effect, also called rebound hyperglycemia, which also wakes up the body and can be irritating for those with diabetes.
The Somogyi effect occurs when your blood sugar level drops too low in the middle of the night.
To prevent this, the body releases hormones that force the liver to release stored glucose to stabilize the amount of glucose in the body.
However, in the case of diabetes, the liver releases excess glucose which leads to high blood sugar.
What is the difference?
The predominant difference between the two is that the Somogyi effect leads to hypoglycemia followed by hyperglycemia.
One of the easiest ways to find out if the rise in blood sugar is due to the Somogyi effect is control blood sugar levels at bedtime and after waking up.
If a person’s blood sugar level is low at night, it is due to the Somogyi effect. If it is normal or high, it may be due to the dawn phenomenon.
It is also important to note that the Somogyi effect can occur at any time of day when your body has high blood sugar.
Once you know what’s causing your blood sugar spike, you can take steps to relieve your symptoms. After consulting with your doctor, they may advise you of the following:
Dawn Phenomenon:
- Alter the timing or type of your diabetes medications
- Have a lighter breakfast
- Increased dose of morning medication.
Somogyi effect:
Reduce the dose of diabetes medications at night.