Sarah Howard (nee Tackett) has dedicated her career to supporting the T1D community ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Manager of Marketing at T1D Exchange.
My body is run by the clock, so I go to bed about the same time at night, and awake in the morning about the same time. When we spring forward an hour, that actually throws me off with the dark mornings and I would vote to keep the clocks unchanged. For years that is what we did, but it is a government ruling, so we just wait and see what happens next. I know the time change has been controversial, but what isn’t anymore. When my family comes to visit, I try and stay up later, but my body clock puts me to sleep in a chair. This is called Senior Living with diabetes.
I use T-Slim with Control IQ, so if I get a low at night and go high, there is an effort to mitigate. If I get out of a safe range I will get an alarm, so I don’t wait up. I have a lot less sleep disturbance with Control IQ than I did before with just CGM.
Aging or reaching an advanced age has many more ways of disrupting sleep and sleep patterns than mere blood glucose ever did. Examples are: growing prostate (in men), muscle cramps and spasms, Boom box-driven cars, medications and their side effects. Sigh! But the control IQ keeps BG very level from about 2230 to 0530. Then the growth hormones resume their daily march. ¯_( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)_/¯
Quick question for anyone providing comment. Would having a glucagon delivery device available for nighttime / sleep use that is attached to you (Like a FS Libre or Dexcom device) and connected to a CGM via bluetooth and would provide a small glucagon injection when you go low be a product you would consider using?? It would be your “nighttime” protection device for lows.
Philip, don’t rule out Minimed’s CGM, 670G or the 770G with bluetooth and phone app. I have been alerted with nighttime low BG alarms with these systems.
I don’t wait if my BGs are high, correction every two hours is good for me, thank you Dexcom. If they are dropping or low and not coming up, I’ll stay awake for that. All that being said, I didn’t have issues with unstable blood sugars in the past week.
Yes, last night I was going low so I had a snack and continued watching tv. My blood sugar was still ok when my sensor died and needed changing. So I waited the two more hours (2:00 am) to see what my numbers were (258) before going to bed. I know I could have checked it with my meter but I don’t really know how accurate my meter is.
@Philip Bunsick absolutely! Close-loop research seems to focus on the insulin side of the equation but doesn’t address situations where stopping insulin delivery isn’t enough. What you just proposed would be the closest things to an exogenous pancreas… How many signatures do you need 😉
My body is run by the clock, so I go to bed about the same time at night, and awake in the morning about the same time. When we spring forward an hour, that actually throws me off with the dark mornings and I would vote to keep the clocks unchanged. For years that is what we did, but it is a government ruling, so we just wait and see what happens next. I know the time change has been controversial, but what isn’t anymore. When my family comes to visit, I try and stay up later, but my body clock puts me to sleep in a chair. This is called Senior Living with diabetes.
Despite my CDE’s advice I occasionally change my pump site before bedtime, and I remain a little anxious before falling asleep.
I use T-Slim with Control IQ, so if I get a low at night and go high, there is an effort to mitigate. If I get out of a safe range I will get an alarm, so I don’t wait up. I have a lot less sleep disturbance with Control IQ than I did before with just CGM.
For many years I have routinely awakened around 2:30 am. I test at that time, adjust if necessary, and go back to sleep.
Aging or reaching an advanced age has many more ways of disrupting sleep and sleep patterns than mere blood glucose ever did. Examples are: growing prostate (in men), muscle cramps and spasms, Boom box-driven cars, medications and their side effects. Sigh! But the control IQ keeps BG very level from about 2230 to 0530. Then the growth hormones resume their daily march. ¯_( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)_/¯
I would be much more inclined to make a correction based on a high BG before going to sleep than delaying sleep to wait for stable sugars.
Quick question for anyone providing comment. Would having a glucagon delivery device available for nighttime / sleep use that is attached to you (Like a FS Libre or Dexcom device) and connected to a CGM via bluetooth and would provide a small glucagon injection when you go low be a product you would consider using?? It would be your “nighttime” protection device for lows.
That is something I’ve done many, many times before, but not in the last week, thankfully.
I usually check my BG about a hour to 90 minutes before I go to bed. Just a habit I’ve gotten use to with CGM app on my phone.
Philip, don’t rule out Minimed’s CGM, 670G or the 770G with bluetooth and phone app. I have been alerted with nighttime low BG alarms with these systems.
I don’t wait if my BGs are high, correction every two hours is good for me, thank you Dexcom. If they are dropping or low and not coming up, I’ll stay awake for that. All that being said, I didn’t have issues with unstable blood sugars in the past week.
No longer an issue with CGMs and pumps that turn up or down insulin levels. No more worries. And if things get wonky, the CGM alarms.
Yes, last night I was going low so I had a snack and continued watching tv. My blood sugar was still ok when my sensor died and needed changing. So I waited the two more hours (2:00 am) to see what my numbers were (258) before going to bed. I know I could have checked it with my meter but I don’t really know how accurate my meter is.
@Philip Bunsick absolutely! Close-loop research seems to focus on the insulin side of the equation but doesn’t address situations where stopping insulin delivery isn’t enough. What you just proposed would be the closest things to an exogenous pancreas… How many signatures do you need 😉
This used to be a constant, but if I go to bed with a slowly digesting food of low carbs, my CGM will not wake everyone.