The
Dawn Phenomenon
The Dawn Phenomenon refers to a
surge of hormones excreted by your body in the early morning hours. These
hormones rise each night around the same time to prepare your body to
wake.
Basically, your body
is starting the engine, releasing some fuel, and prepping to go for the day.
The Dawn Phenomenon occurs in
all humans regardless of whether they have diabetes. However, many people with
diabetes also experience a rise in blood sugar. In people without diabetes, the
body’s natural insulin response prevents the blood sugars from rising.
The Mayo Clinic suggests
several things that you can try to combat the effects of the Dawn Phenomenon:
·
Avoid
carbohydrates at bedtime.
·
Adjust
your dose of medication or insulin. (If you take a long-acting insulin such as
Lantus, be aware it doesn’t last a full 24 hours. This means you may want to
try taking it at night or splitting the dose by taking half in the morning and
the other half 12 hours later.)
·
Switch
to a different medication.
·
Adjust
the time when you take your medication or insulin from dinnertime to bedtime.
·
Use
an insulin pump to
administer extra insulin during early-morning hours.
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