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

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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.

Low-fat cheese and whole-wheat crackers

Cheese provides protein, while whole-wheat crackers add dietary fiber. Choose a healthful type of unprocessed cheese. Whole-wheat and whole-grain crackers have lower glycemic index scores than white varieties, meaning that they have less of an impact on blood glucose levels.

Just before you hit the bed, do something to quiet your mind and relax your body to prepare for sleep. You can take a warm bath, or do some gentle yoga, read a book, listen to relaxing music among others," says Dr Sandeep Kharb.

If you eat a late dinner and go to sleep a few hours later, your glucose may be okay before going to bed. However, since the insulin you took for dinner is still working in your body, your glucose could drop during the night.

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.

Diabetes: Apple cider vinegar to lower blood sugar levels

Multiple studies stress on the benefits of apple cider vinegar for diabetes. It is especially good for type-2 diabetes.

But there is one food that stands alone as the best snack for lower blood sugar: nuts. Nuts are delicious, nutritious and incredibly versatile as far as snack foods go. Plus, they can be stored at room temperature (or in the freezer for longer periods) and are great for grab-and-go snacks.

“If you check and you notice that your levels are close to 70 mg/dL at bedtime, then you know you might be at risk,” Dr. Shah says. In this case, he recommends eating some complex carbohydrates, like a peanut butter sandwich, an apple with peanut butter or one slice of multigrain toast with some avocado.

What is the first thing a diabetic should do in the morning? ›

Checking your blood sugar first thing in the morning should be your priority when you are living with diabetes. Keeping a check on your numbers will improve your ability to manage diabetes.

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.

The theory of the Somogyi effect states that if your blood sugar drops too low in the middle of the night while you're sleeping due to injected insulin, your body will release hormones in an attempt to “rescue” you from the low blood sugar.

Late-night-dinner is associated with poor glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes: The KAMOGAWADM cohort study. Endocrine Journal. 2018; doi:10.1507/endocrj. EJ17-0414.

People with diabetes should eat dinner between 8 and 9 pm. Eating close to bedtime or late at night must be avoided.

Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in your blood, causing hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Glucose (sugar) is the main form of energy your body uses from the food you eat. Without enough insulin, your body can't use glucose for energy. This lack of energy usage causes an increase in hunger.

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.

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