A common concern for people with diabetes is having a hypo at night: "Will I wake up? Will I come to any harm?"
Low blood glucose levels do happen at night, and you may not be woken by the mild symptoms of a hypo. This means that the blood glucose level may drop further and the hypo may become more severe. If your hypo hasn’t woken you, you may feel very tired the next morning and possibly have a headache (a bit like a hangover).
The best way to confirm if you are having hypos at night is to do a blood test during the night. Your diabetes team will advise on the best time for you to test, as this will depend on the type of insulin you are taking. If a night-time blood test appears to show that you are having night-time hypos, talk to your diabetes team because your insulin dose may need to be adjusted.
Some people worry that they could die from a hypo, but this is extremely unlikely. Even if a hypo goes untreated the body will release stored glucose to treat the hypo. The best way to try to avoid hypos is by checking your blood glucose level regularly. You should check even more closely if you have been eating poorly; have done a lot of physical activity; or there has been any change in your daily routine that might upset your diabetes management.
Reviewed: July 2012
Next review: October 2013