People often wonder the reasons for the high level of blood glucose when they wake up early in the morning. There can be several reasons for the same. This article deals with the topic “Why is My Fasting Blood Sugar High in the Morning?” so, join in for this article and read on:

What is Fasting Glucose?

Fasting blood glucose is the level of blood glucose that you have when you check it early in the morning before eating anything. It is usually high and there are two main reasons to explain the same. The following phenomena are responsible for the high levels of fasting blood glucose in the morning:

What is the Dawn Phenomenon?

There is a host of changes that take place in the body while we are sleeping. These changes are known as the “Dawn Phenomenon.” One of the reasons for high blood glucose levels when we wake up in the morning is this dawn phenomenon. 3 A.M is the time when our body is experiencing the soundest sleep. Hence, around this time the body hardly needs any insulin. Whatever insulin is taken by the body in the evening leads to a sharp loss in the level of blood glucose at this time. As a result, between 3 A.M to 8 A.M, the body is slowly getting more and more resistant to the hormone insulin and the stored glucose of our body is being used for the release of some energy. When all the above things are taking place, the insulin you must have taken at bedtime is also getting used up in the process. All these are responsible for the increase in the level of blood glucose early in the morning when you wake up.

What is the Somogyi Effect?

Another reason for the high level of blood glucose in the mornings is the Somogyi effect as described for the first time by the famous researcher, Michael Somogyi.

This effect is also known as the rebound effect due to the way it works. When the body is too low on the level of glucose, it produces hormones such as glucagon, epinephrine, amongst others and the result of these hormones is that the liver is instigated to convert the glycogen into glucose, thereby raising the levels of blood glucose in the body. Thus, as is clear from the above paragraph, the Somogyi effect mainly follows when a patient suffers from hypoglycemia or episodes of low levels of blood glucose.

Precautions to Keep the Above Two Conditions in Control

There are a few precautions that you should take under the expert guidance in order to keep the raised levels of fasting blood glucose under control.

The available treatments for controlling the dawn phenomenon include the following:

• Take your medicines as advised by your doctor
• You can take either a green apple or a resistant cornstarch food item just before bedtime under the supervision of a medical expert.
• You can also try to eat a protein snack before These shall include nuts as well as cheese products
• Most of the patients are even advised to take vinegar either in the form of a drink or in the form of a tablet.

The best available treatments for controlling the Somogyi effect include the following:

• Changing the insulin that you use while also trying to alter the time of taking the same
• When you take your dose of insulin in the evening, you should eat a snack along with it
• If you are used to taking insulin just before going to bed, you should try to reduce the total amount of dose that you take
• Monitoring of A1C levels from time to time also go a great deal in keeping the effect under control

Read Also: “How to Lower and Control High Blood Sugar in the Morning?”

How Do You Determine Which of the Two Phenomenon’s is Adversely Affecting Your Blood Sugar Level?

Determining which of the two phenomena mentioned above is the reason of the high blood glucose in your body is extremely important. However, how do you determine the same? Usually, your doctor shall ask you to check your blood glucose between 2 A.M to 3 A.M. If, during this time, you have low blood sugar levels, the Somogyi effect is considered the culprit. If not, it is the dawn phenomenon which is causing the problem in your body.

We hope that the above post has been helpful in educating you of the reasons as to why our blood glucose levels are usually high when we get up early in the morning. It is not a difficult task to bring the same under control. A few easy steps under proper guidance and supervision can go a long way in helping to bring the fasting blood glucose levels under stabilized levels!!