Time of Day

Time of the day is a factor that can influence the body's absorption and use of insulin. Many people experience problems with elevated blood sugars in the morning. This occurs due to an early morning hormone surge, which causes an increase in blood sugars. There are a variety of options that you can use to help control blood sugars more routinely at this time of the day. They include: eating less carbohydrate at breakfast, if you take insulin, increasing your morning dose and exercise.

• If you control your blood sugars with diet and exercise alone, eating less carbohydrate for breakfast or combining carbohydrate with protein and fat at the breakfast meal can even out blood sugars at this time of day.
• If you take insulin injections or use an insulin pump, you may find that you need more insulin to cover your breakfast carbohydrates than you do at other times of the day.
• Another plan of action to take when morning blood sugars are elevated is to exercise after the breakfast meal. Timing your exercise 1 to 2 hours after eating will help to bring blood sugars down to within goal range. Check blood sugar before exercising. If you have type 1 diabetes and blood sugar is greater than or equal to 250mg/dl or type 2 diabetes with blood sugar greater than or equal to 300mg/dl, wait until it goes below those levels before exercising.

Blood sugars have a tendency to decrease as the day goes by, due to an increased degree of moving around. In diabetes, everyone is an individual. Check your blood sugar often to learn the differences that time of day have on your blood sugar. This allows you to make adjustments in your eating and exercise routine to successfully manage your diabetes.

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