Hey everyone,
I don't know about you people, but almost every time I go low in the middle of the night I pretty much loose control when it comes to eating. It's actually kind of funny, I can tell myself right before I go to bed what to do if I get low, "Pour one glass of orange juice, drink, then sit for 5 minutes, then go back to sleep", yet when the time comes my hunger always overcomes me and I binge. Does anyone have good strategies for preventing over eating when they go hypo in the middle of the night?
I find that I do the exact same thing. I am not sure why but when I wake up low I feel so much worse than any other time. I kind of freak out and eat more in the hopes that I feel better sooner or something. I try and avoid that by putting a juice box on my night stand and not getting out of bed. If I don't actually go to the kitchen I don't continue to eat.
Great idea about the juice box on the nightstand. I had never thought of that before. I also seem to over-do-it if I have to get up in the middle of the night to treat a low. I will definitely use this idea. Thanks!!
I have issues with binging during night time lows too. My lows feel so much worse at night, and my mind tells me to continually consume carbohydrates until I feel better. I also tend to fall asleep right after eating/drinking...without brushing my teeth...which feels GROSS in the morning...
Juice box/glucose tablets on the nightstand is an excellent plan, I always try to do this too. But sometimes my glucose-deprived brain convinces me there isn't enough sugar in the juice and I'd better go to the kitchen and have several handfuls of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios for good measure. Ugg.
I'm somewhat embarassed to admit it, but this is one of my biggest problems as a diabetic. It always has been.
Waking up from as good night's sleep with a low blood sugar, especially if it's at around 3-4 am and you have to get up for school or work in two hours, is one of the worst bummers for a diabetic. First of all (or at least in my case), I have to be pretty darn low -- like under 50 mg/dl, to be woken from my sleep. (I do feel fortunate, however, that I have always woken up and not slipped into an unconscious insulin shock. And, in my case, the lower my sugar is, the worse I fell and the less rational I am.
Being awoken from a sound sleep is bad enough when your blood sugar is fine, but with a low blood sugar it's like awakening somewhere in outer space. To make matters worse, the worst time to binge is when you're either going to sleep or getting back into bed after a low. All that food and NO exercise.
The solution of having a glass of orange juice or some other fast acting sugarf by your bed, along with your test kit, is the best strategy. I tend to use glucose tablets because they can't spill and don't have to be replaced if not used. (Of course you have to make sure not to swallow it whole!) Plain and simple, the best thing is not to go into the kitchen where all the food is.
Of course, the real best thing is to get your night time basal rates, or injection, and pre-dinner bolus as accurate as possible. It's also best, if possible, not to eat anything requiring a bolus a couple of hours before bed, and check your blood sugar right before going to sleep. That is, of course, if you do not have a CGM, which I don't yet. I've heard that the CGM will sound an alarm as your blood sugar is in the process of dropping. That sounds like one of the main advantages of having a CGM.