I'm a diabetic of course and I take multiple shots throughout the day and one before bed. When I'm awake I can tell if my sugar is to low or to high and get it back to normal. So I was just wondering what will or could happen if it falls to low while I'm asleep.
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What will happen if my blood sugar falls really low while I'm asleep?
(15 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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Possible diabetic coma or death unless discovered
Posted 2 years ago # -
From experience with my grandmother, you'll just not wake up on your own. I'd say to eat something high in protein with some bread before bed - like a peanutbutter sandwich. If your sugar drops out, you'll be too out of it to wake up on your own, and unless you live with someone who will notice the issue and call for help - you may actually NEVER wake up - ie die.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Well don't worry very much . This is very unlikely to happen since your body won't consume too much sugar while you're sleeping anyway and surely you take your meals as advised by your physician so don't worry.
Look , a hypoglycemic coma have some symptoms the body make to warn you of it like :
- Rapid heart beat and palpitation
- Sweating , trembling and shaking
- Feeling coldSo sleep is also affected by low blood-sugar levels. You'll have a difficulty getting any sleep at all . So don't worry.
Posted 2 years ago # -
my husband is a type 1. he's gone too low at night & had a variety of reactions. he's gone low enough to be all sweaty & woke up on his own (body can sometimes suddenly release sugar on its own to help you if it has any in storage). he's also gone low & not woke up...lowest reading was about 10 once. i've found him many times & given him honey or glucagon depending on what we had. if you're married or have company, then suggest you have that person learn what signs come with low readings & what to do about them in case you go low & don't catch it yourself. going too low & staying there can cause brain damge. my husband has seizures if he goes too low or too high. he has brain damage but in his case could be from a couple of causes, as he has multiple conditions.
Posted 2 years ago # -
my husband is a type 1. he's gone too low at night & had a variety of reactions. he's gone low enough to be all sweaty & woke up on his own (body can sometimes suddenly release sugar on its own to help you if it has any in storage). he's also gone low & not woke up...lowest reading was about 10 once. i've found him many times & given him honey or glucagon depending on what we had. if you're married or have company, then suggest you have that person learn what signs come with low readings & what to do about them in case you go low & don't catch it yourself. going too low & staying there can cause brain damge. my husband has seizures if he goes too low or too high. he has brain damage but in his case could be from a couple of causes, as he has multiple conditions.
Posted 2 years ago # -
my husband is a type 1. he's gone too low at night & had a variety of reactions. he's gone low enough to be all sweaty & woke up on his own (body can sometimes suddenly release sugar on its own to help you if it has any in storage). he's also gone low & not woke up...lowest reading was about 10 once. i've found him many times & given him honey or glucagon depending on what we had. if you're married or have company, then suggest you have that person learn what signs come with low readings & what to do about them in case you go low & don't catch it yourself. going too low & staying there can cause brain damge. my husband has seizures if he goes too low or too high. he has brain damage but in his case could be from a couple of causes, as he has multiple conditions.
Posted 2 years ago # -
my husband is a type 1. he's gone too low at night & had a variety of reactions. he's gone low enough to be all sweaty & woke up on his own (body can sometimes suddenly release sugar on its own to help you if it has any in storage). he's also gone low & not woke up...lowest reading was about 10 once. i've found him many times & given him honey or glucagon depending on what we had. if you're married or have company, then suggest you have that person learn what signs come with low readings & what to do about them in case you go low & don't catch it yourself. going too low & staying there can cause brain damge. my husband has seizures if he goes too low or too high. he has brain damage but in his case could be from a couple of causes, as he has multiple conditions.
Posted 2 years ago # -
my husband is a type 1. he's gone too low at night & had a variety of reactions. he's gone low enough to be all sweaty & woke up on his own (body can sometimes suddenly release sugar on its own to help you if it has any in storage). he's also gone low & not woke up...lowest reading was about 10 once. i've found him many times & given him honey or glucagon depending on what we had. if you're married or have company, then suggest you have that person learn what signs come with low readings & what to do about them in case you go low & don't catch it yourself. going too low & staying there can cause brain damge. my husband has seizures if he goes too low or too high. he has brain damage but in his case could be from a couple of causes, as he has multiple conditions.
Posted 2 years ago # -
my husband is a type 1. he's gone too low at night & had a variety of reactions. he's gone low enough to be all sweaty & woke up on his own (body can sometimes suddenly release sugar on its own to help you if it has any in storage). he's also gone low & not woke up...lowest reading was about 10 once. i've found him many times & given him honey or glucagon depending on what we had. if you're married or have company, then suggest you have that person learn what signs come with low readings & what to do about them in case you go low & don't catch it yourself. going too low & staying there can cause brain damge. my husband has seizures if he goes too low or too high. he has brain damage but in his case could be from a couple of causes, as he has multiple conditions.
Posted 2 years ago # -
my husband is a type 1. he's gone too low at night & had a variety of reactions. he's gone low enough to be all sweaty & woke up on his own (body can sometimes suddenly release sugar on its own to help you if it has any in storage). he's also gone low & not woke up...lowest reading was about 10 once. i've found him many times & given him honey or glucagon depending on what we had. if you're married or have company, then suggest you have that person learn what signs come with low readings & what to do about them in case you go low & don't catch it yourself. going too low & staying there can cause brain damge. my husband has seizures if he goes too low or too high. he has brain damage but in his case could be from a couple of causes, as he has multiple conditions.
Posted 2 years ago # -
my husband is a type 1. he's gone too low at night & had a variety of reactions. he's gone low enough to be all sweaty & woke up on his own (body can sometimes suddenly release sugar on its own to help you if it has any in storage). he's also gone low & not woke up...lowest reading was about 10 once. i've found him many times & given him honey or glucagon depending on what we had. if you're married or have company, then suggest you have that person learn what signs come with low readings & what to do about them in case you go low & don't catch it yourself. going too low & staying there can cause brain damge. my husband has seizures if he goes too low or too high. he has brain damage but in his case could be from a couple of causes, as he has multiple conditions.
Posted 2 years ago # -
It is hard to know for certain.
You are right that you can go low during the night. Depends on various factors that may vary daily: amount of exercise or activity in the evening - even just a walk, or yard work, snow shoveling - whatever. Obviously the amount of insulin vs. the amount of carbs at dinner will greatly affect the level overnight.
This happens to me occasionally, and I always wake up. I keep a roll of glucose tablets on the shelf next to my bed, and take several of those.
I assume that you measure you blood sugar right before you go to bed. Over time, you will get a good idea of what bedtime value may eventually mean trouble later at night. A small snack of protein heavy items may be helpful. A dietitian in my endocrinologist's office once suggested a half graham cracker with peanut butter on it before exercise. That same thing may be helpful for you if your blood sugar measures somewhat low before bed.
Posted 2 years ago # -
You could wake up in a sweat, shaking, very fuzzy headed, with your heart pounding. You might not wake up at all.
The best way to prevent this is to have 15 to 20 complex carbs with either protein or fat just before you go to bed. Peanut butter on one slice of whole wheat toast is a good source.
The complex carbs will help keep your blood sugar up at a safe level and the fat or protein will slow down the digestion enough to help it last for longer, so you are safer.
This is what my diabetes nurse AND my endocrinologist both recommended for me and it works.
You should also keep a bottle of glucose tablets right beside your bed, where you can reach them, just in case you need them. In fact, its a good idea to have a few of them out in a small dish, in case you are too weak to open the bottle. (I know this from experience).
You should always carry glucose tablets with you too. Have them in your pocket, your backpack, or messenger bag, or your testing kit. Its vital that you always have a meter on hand to test, and glucose tablets to treat a low. If you forget the glucose tablets, lifesavers or other regular candy will do. So would orange juice, but glucose works faster and its very portable.
Good luck!
http://dex4.com/products/glucose-tablets/glucose_tablets.aspx
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hopefully that will not happen to you or very often. It has happened to me a few times before. I actually do wake up, probably not because I know I have low blood sugar, I usually wake up because I am very hot and sweaty, then when I am awake I realize that my blood sugar is low. I usually eat something right away, and then check. To me I rather eat something first rather then wait a moment longer to eat something. This is probably not going to happen with everyone but also I think sometimes you can wake up with higher numbers if your sugar dips low during the night and then your body releases storage of sugar. I forgot what it is called, but that is always a possibility as well.
Posted 2 years ago #
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