Targets Made Simple

A blood sugar target is a range, not one number. It has a low edge and a high edge.

Think of a home thermostat. It keeps a room between two temperatures, not at one exact degree.

Many adults aim for the band 70 to 180 mg/dL (3.9 to 10.0 mmol/L). Your own band can be different.

Time in range measures how much of the day you spend inside the band.

Blood sugar rises and falls through the day, so readings often move outside it. Many adults aim for more than 70 percent of the day in range.

Ask your care team what time in range goal fits you.

Patterns over days and weeks matter more than any single reading. Your care team looks at those patterns before they talk about changing your target.

Meals, activity, stress and sleep can all move a reading. One high or low is one moment in your day, not a pattern.

Key takeaways

• A target is a range with a low edge and a high edge.
• Your own range is set with your care team and can differ from others.
• Time in range shows how much of the day you spend inside the band.

Try it

Jot down which times of day your readings leave your band this week.