Produced by: Manoj Kumar
You haven’t eaten, it’s barely sunrise—and yet your blood sugar is high. This isn’t your diet’s fault. It’s your body clock.
Between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m., your body quietly releases hormones like cortisol and glucagon—triggering a blood sugar boost before breakfast.
While you sleep, your liver releases extra glucose into the blood. But without enough insulin to balance it, sugar levels rise unchecked.
This isn’t a food reaction—it’s biology. Unlike meal spikes, this surge is driven by hormonal shifts, not what you ate the night before.
Up to 50% of people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes experience dawn spikes. Even some with prediabetes aren’t spared.
Those with poor control, higher insulin resistance, older age, or disrupted sleep are more likely to wake up with high sugar levels.
Late-night carbs can make dawn spikes worse. A lighter, earlier dinner is one of the simplest ways to keep your morning sugars stable.
Shifting insulin or medication doses closer to bedtime can help. So can fine-tuning meal and exercise timing to align with your body clock.
Consistency is key: regular meds, evening movement, and predictable sleep-wake cycles can prevent those frustrating morning numbers.