Checking blood sugar levels is important because you want to keep them as close to normal as possible. Checking blood sugar levels will help reduce your risk for short-term problems, such as high blood sugar levels and low blood sugar levels, and for long-term health problems that can affect the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. The main reasons for checking blood sugar levels regularly are to:

• Check how well your diabetes care plan is working and to guide you and your diabetes care team
• Show the link between blood sugar, food, activity, and medicine
• Help manage sick days and low blood sugar
• Keep a record of your long-term blood sugar management
• Help you keep your blood sugar within a range as close to normal as possible, which may help you reduce your risk for diabetes-related health problems

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) suggests the following blood sugar goals:

• A1C levels of less than 7%
• Before meals: 70 to 130 mg/dL
• 1 to 2 hours after meals: Less than 180 mg/dL

However, it is important to remember that your own goals may vary. Talk with your doctor about your personal blood sugar goals.

With insulin therapy, it is very important to have a routine. Meals and snacks should be taken at the times that have been set up as part of your diabetes care plan. Care must be taken not to skip meals. Changes to your diabetes care plan may be necessary if you are very active physically. When you start insulin therapy, it is very important to check your blood sugar levels at home to see how your body reacts to changes in eating and physical activity. It is important to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, so that you can act quickly to increase your blood sugar to a safe range. Some of the symptoms of low blood sugar include sweating, dizziness, weakness, and shakiness. Make sure that your diabetes care plan includes steps to take if you start to have symptoms of low blood sugar. If not treated promptly, mild or moderate low blood sugar can quickly become severe and cause you to pass out. Severe untreated low blood sugar can lead to brain damage or even death. If you take insulin, keep a glucagon emergency kit handy for family and friends to use in case you have sudden low blood sugar that requires help from another person. Glucagon is a medicine that can be injected quickly. It raises your blood sugar when it falls too low and you pass out. Learn more about Novo Nordisk glucagon emergency kit. Report any episodes of low blood sugar to your doctor or diabetes care team.

The level of sugar in your blood depends on a lot of different factors. For instance, the amount and kind of food you eat, your activity and stress levels, and whether or not you are sick can affect your blood sugar levels. Even the time of day you check your blood can affect your reading. The important thing is to try to achieve your target blood sugar levels. You'll want to check your blood sugar regularly so you can determine if your diabetes care plan is managing your diabetes.

In people who do not have diabetes, the pancreas continuously releases a small, steady "basal" flow of insulin. This keeps blood sugar within the normal range overnight and between meals. When you eat, the pancreas normally releases a short "burst," or "bolus," of insulin to handle the sugar load from the meal. Insulin plans can be designed to mimic this natural pattern of insulin release. Generally, these plans combine a long-acting insulin with a rapid-acting insulin. The long-acting insulin mimics the basal insulin secretion. It helps control your background blood sugar levels. A rapid-acting insulin analog provides a short burst of sugar-lowering activity. It works to lower the after-meal blood sugar rise that occurs as your body digests the food you've just eaten. Learn more about Novo Nordisk long-acting insulin and one type of rapid-acting insulin.

A high blood sugar level after eating can happen even if the fasting blood sugar levels are within a normal range. A1C levels reflect blood sugar levels both before and after meals. High A1C levels are linked to a much higher risk for diabetes-related health problems. These can include heart attack, kidney damage, damage to the blood vessels and nerves, and eye problems. That's why it's important to keep your blood sugar level as close to normal as possible.

A high early morning blood sugar level can be caused by:

1. Not enough insulin in your body in the morning. This means that you're not taking enough insulin in the evening or that the insulin you're taking is not long-acting enough to cover you until the morning.
2. A drop in your blood sugar level in the middle of the night. As a result, your body will release some of the sugar that is stored in your liver. The next morning, your blood sugar will be too high. This is called the Somogyi, or rebound, effect.
3. A normal reaction called the dawn phenomenon that occurs in the early morning hours. Hormones are released that cause the liver to send some of its stored sugar into the blood. These hormones also make the cells of your body less responsive to insulin.

It is important to determine why your blood sugar is high. Checking your blood sugar levels at about 3:00 AM for several nights can help find the cause so that the right change can be made to your diabetes care plan. An insulin pump can often correct the problem. Talk with your doctor to see if a pump would be right for you.

If your readings have recently changed, you should talk with your doctor and diabetes care team. Blood sugar levels can go higher if there is stress to the body, such as pregnancy, illness, or infection. Being less physically active or eating more may also be responsible. Other things that can affect your blood sugar levels include improper insulin storage or injection techniques. Your diabetes care team will want to review your diabetes care plan with you to help you get your blood sugar levels back on track.