Glucose spikes aren’t always caused by food and some spikes may occur at night if our body is still digesting or is under stress.
The Lingo Count starts counting at midnight every day, so you may see some Lingo Count when you first wake up.
To avoid overnight spikes and Lingo Count, try:
- Getting consistent, sufficient sleep
- Avoiding high carbohydrate meals before bed
- Using stress reduction techniques, like meditation
If you don’t believe your overnight spikes are due to stress or digestion, keep in mind that you may be seeing the “dawn phenomenon”.
- Cortisol and adrenaline associated with stress can cause the liver to release more glucose into circulation than the muscle can absorb resulting in a glucose spike and Lingo Count.
- The stress hormone cortisol follows a circadian rhythm, usually rising at the end of sleep and peaking around waking.
- This results in the “dawn phenomenon”