Daily Tips

Trouble going low at night? Nocturnal hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose at night, can be a scary experience. Practice prevention with a proper bedtime routine.

• Always test before bed. Keep a blood glucose monitor on your bedside table so you won’t forget to check your blood sugar before bedtime.
• Drink responsibly. Alcohol lowers blood glucose levels. If you’ve had a few drinks, set your alarm for 2 or 3 am to test your blood sugar.
• Have a high protein snack before bed. Snack bars containing uncooked cornstarch have recently been introduced as a method of preventing nocturnal hypoglycemia.
• Adjust your exercise. Be careful about working out in the evenings or near bedtime if you’re prone to going low at night. Exercise has a blood glucose lowering effect.

Talk to your diabetes health care team about preventing nighttime hypoglycemia.