Why do many diabetics wake up at 3am?

For healthy people, waking up in the middle of the night and going back to sleep may be easy, but for people with diabetes, things are different.

Many diabetics wake up almost every night at the same time, around 3am, because their blood sugar levels spike, according to the Express .

Many diabetics wake up every night at the same time, around 3 a.m., because their blood sugar levels spike.

What is the cause?

This 3am waking up phenomenon can be caused by one of two things: the dawn phenomenon or the Somogyi effect.

Dawn phenomenon

As the body uses sugar for energy and to wake up in the morning, the person needs extra energy.

As a result, the body begins to use stored sugar to prepare for the day ahead, according to the Mayo Clinic. At the same time, the liver releases more sugar into the bloodstream due to growth hormone, cortisol, and catecholamines.

For some people, this usually happens around 3am, to prepare the body to wake up for the day, according to Express.

Furthermore, when this phenomenon occurs, the dose of diabetes medication the patient took the day before begins to lose its effect.

All of these phenomena combined lead to a rise in blood sugar in the morning and cause awakening.

One of the easiest ways to tell if your blood sugar spike is due to the Somogyi effect is to check your blood sugar before going to bed and after waking up.

Somogyi effect

Another cause of high blood sugar in the morning is the Somogyi effect, which also wakes up the body and can be uncomfortable for people with diabetes.

The Somogyi effect occurs when blood sugar levels drop too low in the middle of the night.

To rescue from this condition, the body releases hormones that force the liver to release stored sugar to stabilize blood sugar levels.

However, for people with diabetes, the liver will release excess sugar leading to high blood sugar levels, according to Express.

What's the difference?

The main difference between the two is the Somogyi effect which leads to hypoglycemia followed by hyperglycemia.

One of the easiest ways to tell if your blood sugar spike is due to the Somogyi effect is to check your blood sugar before going to bed and after waking up.

If blood sugar 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's also important to note that the Somogyi effect can occur at any time of day when a person's blood sugar levels are high.

What to do?

Once you know what is causing your blood sugar to rise, you can take steps to relieve the symptoms. Doctors recommend the following:

For dawn phenomenon: Change the time or type of diabetes medication; Eat a lighter breakfast; Increase the morning dose of medication.

For the Somogyi effect: Reduce your diabetes medication dose at night, according to Express.

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