Diabetes Emergencies: Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia Care, Chapter 4: Lows at Night
What Raises the Risk of Night Lows
Learn which daytime and evening habits can make a night low more likely.
Know common things that make night lows more likely.
Extra activity during the day can lower blood sugar at night.
A hard workout or long walk is one example. Aerobic exercise makes you breathe harder.
Afternoon aerobic exercise can raise your overnight low risk. That risk can last up to 12 hours. Think of a workout as a withdrawal from a savings account. The balance can stay low for hours.
Evening habits matter too. Drinking alcohol in the evening can raise the risk of a night low.
A small or missed dinner can play a part as well. Less food in the evening means less fuel for the night ahead.
Ask your care team how to lower your risk, including how alcohol fits your plan.
Key takeaways
- Afternoon aerobic exercise can keep overnight low risk raised for up to 12 hours.
- An evening drink can raise the risk of a night low.
- A small or missed dinner can play a part too.
Try it
This week, after a hard workout or long walk, write down your bedtime reading and how you slept.
Next lesson: Setting Up Night Safety at Home