Dawn Phenomenon

What's up everybody.

Welcome back to another episode of healing.

In hindsight, your no BS source for thriving with diabetes.

It's me again, Taylor.

Daniele, I hope you guys are having a good day.

I am , feeling kind of moody.

That's why I have this, this lip going.

I know it's like spring, but I tend to, I don't really follow seasonal trends.

I'm definitely the person who aware, boots in the summer.

I know that there were particular colors for fall and spring, but I

tend to wear fall colors year round, fall, winter colors year anyways.

I know I'm not the only person, but , yeah, I, so today's episode is it's funny.

Cause I liked the title because it's kind of, it's similar, like a dirty

joke, but that's not your thing.

Sorry, not really.

Sorry.

It's funny to me.

But I think it's something that is going to be, kind of interesting

for , non-diabetic friends.

I know definitely diabetic friends and I know the men kind of get it cause you

don't really ask for this to happen.

I don't think , and that's talking about high blood sugar numbers in the

mornings, which is called dawn phenomenon.

Or as I like to call it diabetic morning wood know.

What can I say, I'm, I'm corny, but you know, it's a thing, it's a thing.

And when I got my CGM, I actually started really noticing when it happened, because

I would start to have alarms and there's technically two different types of, ways

that you can end up with higher numbers in the mornings, but I'll get into that.

But I really don't want to talk about, what it is.

Why it happens and how we can kind of get a handle on it, or at least what

I've been doing to try and, ease my spirits whenever I get up in the morning.

And I check my numbers because it's a little defeating when you're trying to be

in range and you wake up and you have not eaten a thing and your numbers are crazy.

So let's get into it.

all right.

So diabetic morning would let's.

Talk about it.

It's, it's such an interesting thing.

You, you are diagnosed with this and I don't feel like I really would have

understood this , until I got my CGM, like I knew it was happening, but I really

just thought it was something I was doing.

Wrong.

I really thought that I was just, not doing well.

There were some mornings where I did have good numbers, but it was

like I had to either super early or not at all the night before.

And I'm taking my medication at weird times to try to like,

outbeat my morning numbers.

It's, it's a whole crazy thing.

So let's, let's break it down.

What is Dawn phenomenon as what it's called?

So it's basically, while you're sleeping.

Your body doesn't need as much energy.

Right?

And so when you're about to wake up, it gets ready to burn fuel because

it needs energy for you to wake up.

Right?

So it starts to tell your liver to start releasing more glucose, and

then that triggers your body to release the insulin because insulin

is what you need to use the glucose.

But as a diabetic, you usually don't need more glucose in your system at

the time, because you probably don't have enough insulin in your system.

Either because you can't make it because you need to manually inject

it for like my type one folks or you're really resistant to it.

So it's not that your body doesn't make it.

It's just really hard for yourselves to accept it and absorb it.

Right?

So that leads to just a bunch of glucose floating around in your system.

And you're not able to actually absorb anything for your

blood sugar levels stabilized.

So that equates to crazy numbers in the mornings.

And it typically happens between 3:00 AM and 8:00 AM.

And at first.

I was like, Hmm.

Maybe it's just like, something that I'm doing.

And I used to be , a middle of the night snacker.

And so I'm like, Oh, it's clearly because I'm doing that.

But since having my CGM , I have realized 100% that it's, it's definitely a thing.

Now, when I was doing the fingerprint glucose meter, I was definitely

having crazy numbers in the mornings.

And.

My dad actually told me, kind of broke this down for me because my grandmother

who also is diabetic , was having the same thing and she was really

stressing out about her morning numbers.

And it's just like, your body goes through this whole wake-up process.

And it's just, it's just what it does.

There's no way for your body to know fully like, Oh, Hey, so.

We're having trouble with, utilizing insulin.

So I probably shouldn't start dumping out glucose around this

time, because I know that you either manually need to give me some insulin

or you're having some resistance.

So I need to kind of back off doesn't know that at all.

It just continues to do its normal programmed function and

it, it kinda messes with this.

Right.

So my dad was telling me like, because we know that this happens like.

Don't take your morning numbers to equate to something that you like, you're just

a terrible person or something like that.

It's just part of the process and, maybe check a little bit later, or whatever.

But then at that point I've eaten, so it's like, okay, well maybe I should

check maybe after my first meal to see I'm trending back down, whatever.

But when I, my first.

My first two weeks with my CGM, especially the very first week.

Now, mind you, I'm in the midst of utilizing two different medications.

Okay.

So when I got my CGM, I got it in the middle of the week.

And so I wanted to make sure from a changing sensor kind of thing, I started

it fresh , on a Sunday or Monday , I ended up going with the Sunday, cause

that's when I also take my ozempic shot.

That I was also recently prescribed , that week.

So my endocrinologist took me off my kombiglyze extended release and my

glipizide extended release, but it was literally the middle of the week.

And so I decided to.

I don't know, I just like, even, even starts stuff like that.

So I finished out using the common glass and glipizide that week.

And as I was checking my blood sugar numbers , my numbers were

actually pretty good in the morning.

So, I start the CGM.

Actually, let's see, I got my CGM before I got my new medication with

my endocrinologist, so I didn't start my CGM until that Sunday.

And then.

During that week of my first week of having my CGM, that's when

I saw my endocrinologist and he scrapped my current medication

regimen and put me on a and

So I used my , current, my old medication regimen while going through my first

week with my CGM until that Sunday.

So I could start my shot and the syndrome, because I don't like switching

stuff in the middle of the week.

So.

I'm wearing my CGM and still taking common glides and glipizide.

And I'm having these weird drops around like three, between three

and two and 3:00 AM in the morning.

And the alarm on, at least for the freestyle, you can adjust the.

High glucose number, basically.

So when, when do you want it to be when your blood sugars, your, I

think it defaults from 70 to 180.

I've now changed it to 70 to one 60 because I was doing really well in range.

So I just slowly was taking it down.

I think the, the standard for someone who's non-diabetic is like

70 to 140, so I'm slowly bringing it down so I can keep myself in

range and the alarms really do help.

They really do so.

The low blood sugar though.

I don't, I don't feel my lows until I'm in like low 60 high fifties.

When I'm in the mid sixties to seventies, I don't really feel it.

And I don't, I don't have that.

The symptoms, when I get into like the 50 random, like high fifties,

that's when I started to feel the symptoms, but I usually don't

let myself get that far, but.

This particular CGM will not let me adjust it to like 65.

I tried to do that, but it flipped it back to 70.

So I was hitting under 70, around 2 to 3:00 AM and my alarm was going off.

And so I would scan myself and an average between I got between 62 and 69.

And I would sit till I felt a really need to grab a snack or, knock back some juice.

I have these little applesauce packs do , that I use.

And.

So I was fine.

And actually what I would do is I would sit for like five minutes

and it was scammed myself again.

And because I was awake and alert because my alarm was going off, my

numbers started to take back up.

So I think I got like 65, one night.

So I S I scan it.

I see that it's 65 and then I sit up and I wait, I'm trying to check how I feel

if I really am super low and I need to get something, and then I scan it again.

And it's already back to 70.

And then I'm like, okay.

So then I sit a little bit longer.

I scan it again and it's giving me the even sign.

It doesn't give me that it's necessarily like rising.

Like usually what I see after I eat, but it just slowly creeps up.

So I lay back down and go back to sleep.

And then I wake up like around seven 38 and a scan it again.

And it's like at like a hundred something.

I'm just like, wait a minute.

I haven't had anything in my sister.

It's insane.

Isn't it?

I will say having a CGM, I treat myself like , a product at the

grocery store where I'm like scanning myself every five seconds.

I'll like find random things and that will not random things, but like when it

comes to food, I kind of want to like buy something just to see like what it does.

Like, I dunno, CGMs are, it's an whole nother ball game when you can

kind of scan in a moment in now.

Yeah, I was, I was rising and so.

I realized though that, because I kept having the crazy low

drops , that I was actually experiencing the same Mogi effect.

I hope I'm saying that.

Right.

S O M O G Y I, and I don't know why the Y and I are together

because it makes sense, whatever.

Somogyi effect.

And that is when you have a really when you have a drop and then because you drop

super low , then you have to , either take something or it's because you

dropped your body's like, Oh, hurry up.

And then it spikes you back up.

So even, so it's still kind of like this crazy, crazy thing that.

Just the motion of rising sends your numbers up.

And that sounds very familiar to other people that I know where just because

they're waking up, you have morning wood.

I mean, we all know what happens.

It's it's it happens.

Because I remember asking, I would just be y'all know, real talk here.

Right.

I would ask my friends like, yo, what is it with?

Just.

Hey, like do something with that, put that away.

Right.

And I use that as my guy friends like, why, why is this?

Like, it's just, it's just waking up, just rising.

The blood is flowing.

And so is that, and I'm just like, all right, well, cool.

I guess, and it's probably why a lot of women enjoy, morning

sex because it's already there.

So you might as well utilize it.

Right.

I don't know.

So it's just one of those things that I just thought was kind of funny

and yet interesting that happens.

I wish that, it was kind of saying like, Hey, I'm getting ready to lay down, so

my numbers are gonna start to go down.

But it, it, unfortunately doesn't, it's seems to be

pertaining mostly in the morning.

Now, what I will say is that, I've I've noticed some really interesting

numbers even throughout the day where I'm like, I'm literally just sitting

and I'll scan and it's a little higher than normal, and I might've scanned

it an hour ago and it was fine.

So, I think that's also where , at least for us.

Getting some form of movement helps to knock that down.

I actually played around with, I ate something.

It was, I was having a food experiment.

I can't remember what it wasn't that I ate , that normally, it was like, you

might not want to eat that according to diabetic standards, if you will.

And it, it made my blood sugar eyes.

And so I remember an episode of elementary the modern Sherlock Holmes, if you will

, with , Oh my God, what's her name?

She's in Charlie's angels.

Lucy, LouLiu there you go.

And she, I can't remember, they were working her in Charlotte,

we're working on a case and they needed to stay up all night.

And she started doing these like squats, like really fast squats.

And she, obviously she was playing Watson.

She was talking about in med school.

That's what she used to do to, her, her blood pumping.

And it would keep her awake.

So I'm watching TV and I'm doing, working on something and I'm noticing

this rise and it's like, it's going up?

So I'm like, huh.

Okay.

So I start doing really fast, just standard standing squats,

trying to get my heart rate up.

I think I did.

Like twists, like, you just, how you stand and just college, your arms twist.

And then I did a few high knees and I scanned myself again and sure enough, my

blood sugar dropped a couple of points.

And so, granted, I.

Yeah.

I do not like cardio.

I do.

I do not like Cari.

I don't like it.

I don't like when my heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest and, sweat

in general, just, it makes me feel gross.

It makes my.

My hair shrivel, for the curly girls out there.

It's, it's just a lot.

Okay.

I like weights because you don't even realize that your heart rate

is going up, but then, it does come down whenever you're resting between.

I liked the idea of testing my strength, but cardio is not.

A final one.

I will say though, I am glad.

And I don't know if I should really be glad about this, whatever,

but I don't have to run, to kind of get my heart rate up.

I just need to do a brisk walk, so I can get on a treadmill hit three.

And that keeps me where I am and I'm meeting my heart rate quota for the day.

If I do it for at least 30 minutes or so.

But it's true.

Getting your heart rate going is something that will help.

So that leads me to some things that I've been doing to kind of combat that and

some things that I've heard others doing, especially for those that take insulin.

So.

I've heard plenty of people talk about, the same for those who have

the Somogyi effect, where you drop really low in the middle of the night.

And then you're trying to like, get yourself back up and that's having

a, like protein, and a protein snack.

Before bed , to kind of help stabilize you , protein and fiber are two things

that really protein, fiber and fat , you know, especially when paired with

carbs , help slow down the release.

It helps make sure that your blood sugar remains stable.

So especially if you're having a carb-heavy dinner, definitely

make sure you've got some protein, fat and fiber , in it.

So that way you're not sending your number skyrocketing simply because , you've

had nothing but carbs for dinner.

Usually I try to actually keep , even my complex carbs, even though they're,

they're definitely good carbs, I try to keep them , to a minimum with my dinner.

So I try to, go veggie heavy, those types of carbs , and some

form of protein with my dinner.

And then like, for those of us who take oral medications , with their dinner.

So when I was on kombiglyze, I've had to take two tabs of that with my dinner.

But sometimes my dinner would be like around anywhere between six and eight.

But I'm not going to bed until like 10 or 11.

So I did an experiment with myself when I was still using my meter to

try to see if i can, get those numbers low is I ate my dinner earlier.

And then I took my medication like right before bed.

So like, 10 ten-ish.

So I might like eat my dinner around six and then take my medication around 10.

So that we, when it was still doing it slow release, it kept me even through

the morning that worked a little bit , it was kind of hit or miss.

I did try, eating my dinner later , at one point.

And then I also tried eating my dinner earlier, but also

taking my medication earlier.

And it seemed the average that worked was eating my dinner earlier, but taking

my medication later seemed to help.

I have heard of those who are on insulin , still eating their dinner,

but they don't actually take their insulin until right before bed.

So that way they have enough in their system.

So that way it doesn't like send the body into overdrive and needing to

Basically it's when it's dumping, when your liver is dumping the glucose,

you have some insulin on standby to help , absorb that up a little bit.

So your numbers can be a little bit more even , or not as high.

So it's.

It's an interesting thing.

I really try my best to watch my evening routine , with that, because it's

hard to , always think of that, in the mornings now, especially with having a

CGM and you can see throughout the day, I don't worry as much when my numbers are

higher in the morning, because a, I know what it is now that I know what it is.

It's just my body, it's , Like, when a cars, you need to start it after it's

been sitting for a minute, it's just, it starts out, the, the engine rev

goes a little bit higher than that one.

I just remember my dad was telling me once it gets to the one or a little bit

below that's when you're ready to pull out when you're warming up your car.

Right.

So it starts out and engines revving really high.

And then after you sit for a few minutes of slowly, just creeps back down, that's

pretty much what your body is doing.

It's doing the same thing and it's not the most exciting thing in the world.

And it's definitely a very frustrating thing because when, part of your

, diagnosis is managing numbers , not that we want to, because we have to

think about, the numbers on a scale and the numbers , for A1C and now numbers

on our blood sugar in the mornings and all these things, I have an exhibit

with a lot of numbers and I hate math.

Okay.

But knowing what it is has definitely helped me adjust and I don't.

Freak out as much , when it happens.

Cause I understand my body is just doing its natural thing.

And that helps me to, prepare for it.

Oh, I almost forgot one other thing that you could do that I haven't tried

myself yet, but I've read and communicate with other people that they do is doing

vigorous exercise in the evenings.

Because again, having a higher heart rate will lower your blood sugar.

Yeah.

So being able to get some exercise in before you lay down could also be helpful.

I have not tested this myself.

So please at your own will talk with your doctor.

Of course, obviously is all general advice, no medical advice here.

Just thoughts and experiences.

Right.

But I prefer to get my workouts in.

Preferably in the mornings, I'm starting to , do like midday walks , with my dogs

too, just down the street and back , to get me some kind of movement, in the

middle of the day, I used to do it when I worked at an office where I would, either

on my lunch break, cause I usually would just eat at my desk , or my breaks.

I would just walk around the building a couple of times, sometimes I would just

have meetings where we would just go outside and walk around to get out of

the office and get our blood flowing.

So now that I work from home, I'm trying to do that more as well.

But evening workouts are just hard for me.

I always have something going on, that's what happy hour is, and then I'll be

tired, and you can just like go work out and they go like meet up with people.

I mean, I guess we're not menial, but people like that, but that

was my excuse at the time.

I don't know.

Maybe I feel like if I had a treadmill in my house, I'd probably

be down for an evening walk.

My uncle used to do that all the time and they used to live in Waco.

They would actually go on night walks.

So when I would spend this up, I think it's been a, yeah.

When I spent a summer with them, we would go on evening, walks back

when, being out at night, wasn't something to be concerned about.

So, and it's me by myself.

And even though I've got two dogs, like it's too, it's it was, it was more lit

where they were, it's kind of dark where I am , even with the streetlights.

So I think I will not be doing the evening venture.

If I were to go to the gym in the evenings, that's also when most people

go to the gym because they're all off of work and crowds and I even.

Before pandemic.

I did not like when the gym was crowded, I like when it's empty,

which is usually why I try to get there in the mornings, because

nobody wants to be there that early.

I try to be, I try if I can be there right.

When they open at 5:00 AM.

I will.

I've only done it like three times this year, so far.

So we'll, we'll see

anyways.

Well, that's really all that I had for you guys today.

We deal with so much and it almost feels like there's a layer upon another

layer of something, but the more, the more you can do stuff to prevent it.

So I hope this was helpful in some ways, I always feel like I'm saying that , after

I talked to you guys, because I want to make sure I'm giving you content.

That makes sense.

So with that being said, Hey, Apple podcast, Spotify, Google podcasts.

Amazon.

I keep forgetting them.

Amazon has podcasts now, wherever you can leave me some information, insight,

whatever, please rate, subscribe, and let me know what you think of the show.

Let me know if you have a question and you'd like for me to answer, hit me up

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and shoot me a message.

I would definitely love your input on how I can make this more.

Relatable to you, because even though I'm sharing what I'm going

through, I know many more of you have so many stories to tell.

So let me know what you think.

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What do they do at the end of all these videos, all the pointing around.

I'm not going to do that.

Thank you guys for listening.

And again, I really appreciate all of your support, encouraging

messages and for my fellow diabetics, Peace love and good blood sugars.

I'm out.