Late-night eating: OK if you have diabetes? (2024)

FAQs

Late-night eating: OK if you have diabetes? ›

If you have diabetes, late-night snacks aren't necessarily off-limits — but it's important to make healthy choices. Late-night snacks add extra calories, which can lead to weight gain.

Everyone's blood sugar levels change throughout the night. In people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, these fluctuations can cause high blood sugar levels, or hyperglycemia, in the morning. A tactical late-night snack before bed may help balance these levels.

At least two hours before going to bed, try to avoid eating anything. Maintain a window of 10–12 hours between two substantial meals- If you work night shifts and are unable to keep your optimal dinner time between 7–9 PM, try keeping a window of 10–12 hours between your dinner and breakfast.

Research says sleeping late at night can increase diabetes risk by 19%. Here's why it happens and what to keep in mind. Recent research suggested that being a 'night owl' or having an 'evening chronotype' can increase risk of diabetes by 19% compared with being an early riser.

The bottom line. Eating late at night can lead to weight gain and interrupt your sleep. If you need to eat close to bedtime, choose small, healthy snacks so you sleep better. If you would like to talk with a health care professional to evaluate your diet and sleep habits, reach out to Banner Health.

The dawn phenomenon is an early-morning rise in blood sugar, also called blood glucose, in people with diabetes. The dawn phenomenon leads to high levels of blood sugar, a condition called hyperglycemia. It usually happens between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.

For patients with diabetes, sleep quantity is important, but there isn't an exact number to aim for that's different from non-diabetics. Aim for at least 7 hours like everyone else does, and focus on sleep quality too. How can a diabetic person sleep better? Before bed, relax.

“Skipping meals and lack of meal structure can throw off the balance between food intake and medication and this can result in poorly controlled blood glucose,” she said. “Eating at regular intervals also ensures that carbohydrates are spaced evenly throughout the day, which translates to better blood glucose control.”

"A low-sugar Greek yogurt with berries and a few nuts is a great balance of protein, fiber, and fat to help keep blood sugar stable, and research shows foods like strawberries and wild blueberries can help improve insulin resistance as well," Harris-Pincus says.

A good rule of thumb, Moyer says, is to eat within one hour of waking up.

What lowers blood sugar immediately? ›

The fastest way to lower blood sugar is to take fast-acting insulin medication. Exercise can also help to bring down blood sugar levels quickly. Diet and lifestyle changes can help manage overall blood sugar levels, but for immediate action, prescription medication or medical assistance may be necessary.

Many people with diabetes will describe themselves as feeling tired, lethargic or fatigued at times. It could be a result of stress, hard work or a lack of a decent night's sleep but it could also be related to having too high or too low blood glucose levels.

Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar. One study found that people who drink more water lower their risk for developing high blood sugar levels. And remember, water is the best. Sugary drinks elevate blood sugar by raising it even more.

Try to go 10–12 hours each night without eating, Sheth said. For instance, if you eat breakfast at 8:30 a.m. every morning, that means capping your nighttime meals and snacks between 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. each night.

The time when meals are eaten is a significant indicator influencing overall health and well-being [1–3]. Night eating, characterized by the consumption of food during the late evening or nighttime hours, has been associated with various health risks, such as cancer [4, 5] and diabetes [6–8].

Snacks that balance carbohydrates and protein, such as whole grain crackers and cheese, support consistent blood sugar levels. From a sleep perspective, combining carb-rich foods like crackers with good tryptophan sources like cheese helps make tryptophan more available to your brain.

The bottom line – eating sugar late at night overstimulates you, giving you energy. We recommend consuming sugar no more than three hours before bedtime so that your body can fully metabolise it and use the energy.

Sugary snacks can be a big contributor to nighttime restlessness and awakenings. So while a piece of cake or a pint of ice cream may make for a tasty snack before bed, you might want to reconsider for your sleep's sake. Eating sugar before bed causes your blood sugar levels to rise and your pancreas to release insulin.

Some studies suggest fasting may be helpful for people with diabetes. But it's not a mainstream treatment. The American Diabetes Association doesn't recommend fasting as a technique for diabetes management.