Three simple hacks can help support your glucose while you snooze.
Key Points
- To keep your blood sugar from spiking in the morning, what you do the night before matters.
- Eating a balanced snack, limiting screens and gently moving all support healthy blood sugar.
- Other ways to help your morning blood sugar include reducing alcohol and managing stress.
Managing blood sugar isn’t just a daytime job. For the millions of people navigating prediabetes or diabetes, what you do in the hours before sleep can potentially impact your blood sugar levels the next morning. It’s estimated that over 38 million Americans have diabetes, with millions more falling into the prediabetic range. While we often focus heavily on what we eat for lunch or how much we exercise in the morning, our nighttime routine is equally powerful.
Nighttime habits can either set you up for a stable morning or lead to the dreaded “dawn phenomenon,” an early-morning spike in blood sugar. Fortunately, you don’t need to overhaul your entire life to see improvements. Small, strategic adjustments before you hit the pillow can make a difference. We spoke with registered dietitians to uncover three actionable steps you can take tonight to support better blood sugar management, and this is what they said.
1. Choose a Balanced Bedtime Snack
There is a common misconception that eating before bed is strictly off-limits if you are watching your blood sugar. While mindless snacking on sugary treats isn’t ideal, going to bed hungry can sometimes cause more harm than good. When blood sugar drops too low overnight, the body may react by releasing hormones that signal the liver to release stored glucose. This can sometimes result in higher blood sugar levels in the morning, a phenomenon known as the Somogyi effect.
Listening to your body’s hunger cues is essential. “If your stomach is rumbling before bed, ignoring it can actually backfire by disrupting both your sleep quality and your glucose stability,” says Karman Meyer, RDN, LDN.
The key isn’t to avoid food or to eat whatever sounds good, but to choose the right kind of fuel. You want a combination that digests slowly, preventing a rapid spike while keeping your levels steady throughout the night.
“Fuel your rest with a blood sugar–balanced snack by pairing a complex carbohydrate with a protein and a healthy fat,” Meyer advises. “This winning combination—like cottage cheese with tart cherries, a banana with nut butter, or whole-wheat crackers with sharp Cheddar—ensures you stay satisfied and steady until morning.”
By prioritizing this trio of nutrients, fiber-rich carbs, protein and healthy fats, you help create a safety net for your blood sugar while you sleep.
2. Limit Blue Light Exposure
We live in an era of screens. From late-night work emails to scrolling through social media in bed, our eyes are constantly exposed to artificial light. While we know this affects our ability to fall asleep, fewer people realize the direct link between light exposure and metabolic health.
Your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, regulates many biological processes, including hormone release and glucose metabolism. Blue light “tricks” your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, which can throw these delicate systems off balance.
Because of this, Lainey Younkin, M.S., RD, suggests people reduce blue light exposure by turning off electronics earlier in the evening or switching your phone to the “dark” or “nighttime” mode. “Emerging research shows that blue light can increase blood sugar levels and interfere with glucose metabolism,” Younkin adds. Another study linked blue light exposure with increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Blue light can also affect sleep quality, which can impact blood sugars too. “When sleep is disrupted, the body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can trigger the liver to release stored glucose—leading to overnight blood sugar spikes,” shares Brittany Brown, RD, IBCLC, CDE.
Try to disconnect at least 60 minutes before sleep.
3. Incorporate Gentle Movement
You don’t need to run a marathon at 9 p.m. to see benefits. In fact, intense exercise too close to bed might keep you awake. However, light, targeted movement can help your muscles utilize the glucose currently in your bloodstream, lowering your levels naturally before you sleep.
“Before bed, especially after dinner, it is important to get some movement in,” notes Kimberley Rose-Francis, RDN, CDCES. The goal is to activate muscles without overstimulating your nervous system.
“You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home or turn your living room into a gym. Research suggests that engaging in soleus push-ups can help decrease blood sugar levels,” Rose-Francis explains.
Best of all, you can do this while reading or winding down. “To do this exercise, simply sit down and keep your feet flat on the ground. Your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Then lift your heels while the front of your feet stays on the ground. Slowly lower your heels and repeat this process,” says Rose-Francis.
Other Evening Strategies for Healthy Blood Sugar Support
Beyond these three key habits, there are several other evidence-based strategies to help keep your glucose levels in check overnight:
- Hydrate wisely throughout the evening. Dehydration can cause blood sugar concentrations to rise, as there is less water in the body to dilute the glucose. Aim to drink water throughout the day, but taper off before bed to avoid disrupting your sleep with bathroom trips.
- Manage stress with relaxation techniques. High stress levels trigger the release of cortisol, which makes your cells resistant to insulin. Incorporating five minutes of deep breathing, meditation, or gentle stretching before bed can lower cortisol levels and improve insulin sensitivity.
- Limit alcohol intake close to bedtime. While alcohol might help you fall asleep faster, it often disrupts the later stages of sleep and can be linked to unpredictable blood sugar fluctuations. It can also block the liver from producing glucose when you need it, risking hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) overnight.
Our Expert Take
Managing blood sugar overnight is a powerful yet often overlooked aspect of overall glucose management. By making small, intentional changes to your nighttime routine, you can set the stage for more stable blood sugar levels and better mornings. Whether it’s choosing a balanced bedtime snack, reducing blue light exposure, or incorporating gentle movement, these strategies are simple yet effective ways to support your metabolic health. The key is consistency—small, sustainable habits practiced regularly can lead to meaningful improvements over time.
Remember, managing blood sugar is not about perfection but about progress. By listening to your body, prioritizing quality sleep, and adopting these evidence-based practices, you can take charge of your nighttime routine and, in turn, your overall health. With a little effort and mindfulness, you can wake up feeling more balanced, energized and ready to take on the day.
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