8 Comments

  1. Everyone’s schedule and body are different but I have had almost no problem with morning BGs and dawn phenomenon in a long time. What seems to work for me is more related to sleep and stress in general rather than my Lantus injections (I use MDIs, not a pump).

    I am lucky in that my job is usually late morning or later, so I never have to get up with an alarm. I wake up naturally every day, whenever my body is ready. And I don’t sleep in on weekends. So seven days a week I am up between 7:30~9:00, naturally and generally well-rested.

    Plus I try to avoid screens before bed – computer and phone and TV. I’ll read my blue light-less Kindle or a book or nothing.

    All of that seems to make my pre- and post-breakfast BGs behave very well. I used to try to fix these problems with different insulin approaches but being calm, unstressed, and well-rested is what really made the difference.

  2. Ohhh dawn phenomenon! How badly it can screw everything up. Its good when you get it though. I havent had to change my night & morning rates to account for any changes in over a year now, I’m on a streak! But it does rely heavily on going to bed with good BGLs.

    I had a giggle when you said 9am is not a sleep in for you. I get up at 6am every day, whether I want to or not (damn body clock!). 7 am is definitely a sleep in for me. I wish I could sleep in until 9am. But when I think of my uni student days 9am was normal and 11am was a sleep in. Its funny how things change & how normal hours differ for everyone. I have to start my higher basal rate at 3am to account for wake up hormones at 6am.

    • I think routine is key to consistency in basal rates….mine has been a little erratic lately, cue lots of changes. And 9am is definitely a very late sleep in for me…I can’t stand the thought of sleeping through the day!

  3. Michael

    Hi Frank
    I noticed that your basal rates vary significantly on the display on your pump – by as much as 400% from 8 am to 4.30am, and that in your blog you talk about changing your basal rates the night before you go to work. Did you do fasting tests to determine to determine your basal rates when your pump was set up?

    • Hi Michael, so first I did a basal test for my evening window 12am-6am. Once that was right, I did a basal test for the morning window 6am-12pm. The higher basal rate at 4.30am is to cover dawn phenomenon when I wake up. The rates then gradually go down at 7 and 8am when I start working and doing physical activity, and my insulin is more sensitive. Does that answer your question?

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