Middle of the night Lows with 3 y/o

Melinda - posted on 07/28/2009

Our daughter was diagnosed at 19 months but is now 3 1/2. We use her sippy cup for night time lows. Fill it with his favorite juice (equal to 15 carbs) and let him drink. Our daughter hardly even is awake long enough to finish drinking hers. Hope this helps.

Lauren - posted on 07/27/2009

We give Dylan before bed some milk mixed with carnation instant breakfast (no sugar added)---it took us some trial and error to get the right mixture down and then 1/2 of a cinnamon graham cracker and 2 vanilla wafers.

Nicole - posted on 07/22/2009

Oh my goodness- THANK YOU!!

Tamra - posted on 07/21/2009

I know this is long and I've posted it once before, but I hope it helps. You should copy and paste it into a Word document and print it. I keep mine out where it is easy to find.



Snacks help prevent low blood sugar levels and provide energy between meals. Typical snacks contain 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrate. Below are some low-fat snack ideas to try.



Snacks containing 15 grams of carbohydrate:



1 medium apple or orange

18 small pretzel twists

2 popcorn cakes

1/2 small bagel with fat-free cream cheese

3 cups air popped or low-fat microwave popcorn

8 oz. or 1 carton light yogurt

4 to 5 vanilla wafers

5 to 6 saltine crackers

1 1/2 graham crackers

1/2 cup low-fat ice cream

2 Tbsp raisins

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup sugar-free pudding

1 fruit roll-up

1 fruit juice bar





Snacks with 30 grams of carbohydrate:



1 small bagel with fat-free cream cheese

1 oz baked tortilla chips with 1/4 cup salsa

1 low-fat granola bar

1 large banana or 2 pieces of fruit

4 oz individual fruit cup and 1 cup skim milk

1 cup Cheerios with 1/2 cup skim milk

1/4 cup dried fruit

2 caramel corn cakes

1 cereal bar

15 baked potato chips

14 animal crackers and 1/2 cup skim milk

2 fig cookies and 1 cup skim milk



Special Suggestions



Encourage your child to eat fresh fruit rather than juice as a routine snack (unless blood sugar is low).

Add sugar-free flavorings (such as sugar-free cocoa or milk flavorings) to milk, if needed.

If your child is still hungry after the snack, offer water, popsicles made with diet pop or Kool-Aid, or carrot sticks or celery in a dish with cold water and ice cubes.

Don't make issues of food jags or eating crazes. They usually pass.

If low blood sugars happen repeatedly at the same time of day, or if your child exercises for a long time, a snack may help prevent low blood sugar.



Two Good Summer Daytime Snacks



Yogurt creamsicles

Combine 1/2 cup plain skim milk yogurt (1/2 carb) with 1/2 cup fruit juice concentrate, undiluted (3 carbs). Freeze in popsicle molds until solid. This snack equals 3 carb choices.



Fruit popsicles

Blend 1 cup fresh fruit: berries, peaches, or bananas (2 carbs) with 1/2 cup apple juice concentrate, undiluted (3 carbs). Freeze in popsicle molds until solid. This snack equals 5 carb choices.



Diabetes: Bedtime Snacks



Bedtime snacks are important for blood sugar control for children with type 1 diabetes. A snack that includes carbohydrate and protein helps to keep up your child's blood sugar level through the night. A typical bedtime snack should include 15 grams of carbohydrate and 7 to 8 grams of protein. This amount can change based on your child's age, blood sugar levels, and activity throughout the day.



Examples of foods containing 15 grams of carbohydrate and 7 to 8 grams of protein include:



1 slice of bread plus 2 Tbsp peanut butter

1 6-inch tortilla plus 1/4 cup grated cheese

6 saltine crackers plus 1 string cheese

3 cups popcorn plus 1 oz of meat or 1 egg

12 small pretzels plus 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds

3/4 to 1 cup cereal plus 1/4 cup peanuts

5 vanilla wafers plus 1 cup milk*

8 oz of no-sugar-added yogurt*.



*Yogurt and milk provide about 15 grams of carbohydrate as well as protein.



It is good to choose a solid food at bedtime. Solid foods will churn around in the stomach before passing to the intestine where most food is absorbed. Milk or yogurt alone might pass quickly through the stomach, but milk and cereal or yogurt and crackers might pass through more slowly. Adjust carbohydrate amounts based on what the blood sugar is at bedtime. Here are some guidelines to follow:



At bedtime, if your child's blood sugar is:



150-200 mg/dl (8.3-11.1mmol/L): Give your child 15 to 20 grams of carbohydrate and 7 to 8 grams of protein.

100-150 mg/dl (5.5-8.3 mmol/L): Give your child 25 to 30 grams of carbohydrate and 7 to 8 grams of protein.

100 mg/dl (5.5 mmol/L): Give your child 30 to 45 grams of carbohydrate and 7 to 8 grams of protein.



Children who have had an active day should have a bedtime snack no matter what their blood sugar level.

Staciemarie - posted on 07/20/2009

We always do a 15 gram snack at bed to maintain the levels. Sounds like he is honeymooning still. We seem to be coming out of tht stage. Wheat Thins, Ritz crackers, any thing like that with a stick of string cheese works well for us.

Nicole - posted on 07/20/2009

So I should either choose a carb with more protein for night snack, or just add some free protein with his carb snack? Any good examples of a night snack to help him?

Tamra - posted on 07/20/2009

Has your doctor given you a list of suggested snacks for bedtime? The key actually is the protein - the body digests the protein more slowly, which in turn helps the body digest the carbs more slowly which helps keep the blood sugar level longer.

Nicole - posted on 07/20/2009

Thanks! I'll give that a try!

Amy - posted on 07/19/2009

My daughter was 4 when we found out she had diabetes. The bed time snack helped her not go low at night. We always do a cookie and milk. I think that the milk is the key! Good luck!

Tami - posted on 07/16/2009

Hi Nicole. The biggest thing I can tell you is to be sure he has a good bed time snack. My daughter was DX'd at 13 months and I remember always giving her milk at bedtime. It may have been cookies and milk or ice cream, but the milk has a fat in it and will help hold it up... You will learn in time what works best. I think I did the Juice and snack in the middle of the night for about 5 years or so until I realized the juice may just be enough. If you notice lows are at a certain time, get up an hour before and let your doctor know so they can change his insulin amounts overnight. And get used to the overnight sugar checks. I just stopped getting up at 3am everynight about a year ago and my daughter is 12.

Louise - posted on 07/15/2009

Oh God love you, It;s a horrible stage when it's all so new and keeps throwing curve balls at you...having been there all I can say is it's a long hard road but there is a light at the end of that tunnel, it will get better..in that you will become use to it but take care of yourselves in the meantime and use all the help that's offered

On the lows in the middle of the night..We use honey to boost Eoin...2 teaspoons in his sleep, followed by 8 oz milk to keep him going..he takes it all in his sleep and doesn;t wake up...hope this helps!

Louise