Gestational Diabetes Bedtime Snack: How Important is It?

It goes against everything your Health teacher told you, so why on earth did your doctor just tell you to start eating a snack right before bed? If you have gestational diabetes, this bedtime snack, while going against common sense, may be the difference between fasting blood glucose levels you can live with and levels that require taking insulin.

Why A Bedtime Snack?
As you probably know, the most important concern with gestational diabetes is regulating blood sugar levels. You may be doing a great job with keeping your blood sugar levels down throughout the day, but that fasting blood sugar level can be a tricky one to manage.

Some people with diabetes experience a spike in early morning blood sugar levels, known as the dawn phenomenon. As we get closer to waking, our liver produces extra blood sugar to help prepare us for waking up. It gives us the energy to get out of bed and start our day. In people with diabetes, the imbalance between the insulin and blood sugar produced can cause an unhealthy spike in morning blood sugar levels. Enter the bedtime snack.

Eating a bedtime snack that is high in protein will help give the body something to work on overnight, and help keep blood sugar levels steady to prevent the liver from producing too much glucose. Some experts suggest a snack of up to 45 grams of carbs at bedtime, but this is probably too high for many of us who suffer from gestational diabetes. You should try to have at least some carbs with your bedtime snack, but you will need to experiment to see what works best to control your fasting blood sugar levels.

Bedtime Snack Ideas
The most important component of a bedtime snack is protein, so aim for high protein foods such as cheese, yogurt or meats.

10 Ritz crackers with cheese: 20 carbs 8 ounces flavored yogurt: 20-40 carbs, depending on brand 1/2 cup cottage cheese seasoned with lemon pepper: 4 carbs 20 tortilla chips with salsa: 40 carbs 1 large slice toast with peanut butter: 20 carbs 3 large celery sticks and 2 tablespoons peanut butter: 13 carbs

These are just a few ideas, but you can use them as a guideline to see what foods you have available already. Peanut butter is one of my favorite choices for snacks because it has just enough sweet to satisfy a sweet tooth but is jam-packed with protein and healthy fats to help a growing baby.

It is very important to get a handle on fasting blood sugar levels. Your doctor may prescribe you insulin if fasting levels stay above 90 consistently. The first step to controlling those first morning readings is to experiment with different bedtime snacks. Some women find they need higher carbs at bedtime and some do best with very few carbs and all protein. Try different types to find the right combination for you and you will hopefully see those fasting readings begin to go down.


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