Hello. My daughter is 14 years old and she has been type 1 diabetic for about 10 years. She has been on an insulin pump for about 9 years. For the last 12 months or so, her blood sugar at night is continuously high. We have bumped up her basal rate several times, and she also stopped eating a snack before bedtime. Nothing seems to help. It seems that her body becomes insulin resistant at night. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Q: Hello. My daughter is 14 years old and she has been type 1 diabetic for about 10 years. She has been on an insulin pump for about 9 years. For the last 12 months or so, her blood sugar at night is continuously high. We have bumped up her basal rate several times, and she also stopped eating a snack before bedtime. Nothing seems to help. It seems that her body becomes insulin resistant at night. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Your daughter is going through puberty, and the changes in her body are indeed making her very insulin resistant, as you surmised. In fact, the hormonal fluctuations at puberty promote insulin resistance in most teenage girls, not just those with type 1 diabetes. Unfortunately, the only way to improve your daughter's blood sugar at night is to continue raising the basal rate until her numbers remain within a healthy range. During the day, encourage her to consume mainly protein, healthy fat, vegetables, nuts and low-sugar fruit like berries and apples, while avoiding sugar and refined carbs like white bread, pretzels and chips. Walking and engaging in other forms of light activity during daytime hours may also be helpful.
Answered By dLife Expert: Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE
Certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian living in Southern California.
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