Dr. Ahmed Have you ever finished dinner early, skipped the late-night snacks, and woke up to see a high sugar level on your glucose monitor?
This feels like a total betrayal and makes one wonder how your blood sugar goes up when you have not eaten a single thing for ten hours.
When your fasting sugar is high, there can be one of two effects behind this:
● The Dawn phenomenon – a natural surge of hormones that happens to everyone, but causes higher spikes in those with insulin resistance or diabetes.
● The Somogyi effect – a rebound high that happens when your blood sugar drops too low during the night, forcing your body to dump emergency sugar into your system to protect you.
Basically, your body is not cheating; it is actually trying to help you. Even when you are not eating, your liver stores and releases energy to keep your organs running.
The Dawn phenomenon:
Have you ever wondered how you have the energy to get out of bed before you have even had a sip of coffee?
That is the Dawn phenomenon in action. While it can cause morning blood sugar spikes, it is actually a very normal process that your body uses to jumpstart your day.
The science of morning blood sugar spikes: what happens at 4 am?
Between 4 am and 8 am, your body realises that you are about to wake up and start moving. So, to make sure that you do not faint once your feet hit the ground, your internal clock starts a series of events to prepare you for activities.
To get this energy ready, your body releases a bunch of hormones, specifically cortisol, growth hormone, and adrenaline [ref].
These hormones reach the liver and stimulate it to release or dump the stored sugar into the bloodstream.
In a person without an insulin issue, his/her body releases enough insulin to deal with this sugar surge without any problem.
However, this is different in people with insulin resistance or diabetes. Their body either does not have enough insulin or it can not use it properly to handle the glucose spike.
Consequently, the sugar remains in your blood instead of being used, which is why you see a high reading on your glucose monitor. All because of your liver and not because you ate something bad at night.
The Somogyi effect:
The Somogyi effect is more of an emergency scenario, while the Dawn phenomenon is like a planned one.
Why does it happen:
If your blood sugar drops too low while you sleep, maybe because you skipped dinner or took too much medication, your brain sends out a distress signal.
In response, your body releases hormones like glucagon and adrenaline to save you from the low. These hormones force your liver to dump a massive amount of stored sugar into your blood.
Because the body often overreacts to the emergency, it releases way more sugar than you actually need, leading to a massive rebound spike by the time you wake up [ref].
Dawn phenomenon vs Somogyi effect
| Feature | Dawn phenomenon | Somogyi effect |
| Description | A natural hormone surge to wake you up. | A rebound spike after a sugar crash |
| Middle of the night | Blood sugar is normal or high | Blood sugar is low (hypoglycemia) |
| 3 am reading | Steady or rising | Very low |
| Primary cause | Morning hormones (cortisol/growth hormone) | Too much insulin or skipping dinner |
| Common symptoms | None (usually just high reading) | Night sweats, headaches, or nightmares |
| The fix | Adjusting dinner timing or activity | Having a small protein/fat snack before bed |
Is it the Somogyi or the Dawn phenomenon?
Since both effects lead to a high number, it could be difficult to tell what is causing it.
You might be experiencing the Somogyi effect if you wake up with:
● Do you wake up with damp pajamas or sheets because of night sweats?
● A dull throb in the morning is a common sign of a nighttime “crash.”
● Did you have vivid nightmares or feel like you tossed and turned all night?
● Waking up feeling starved rather than just ready for breakfast.
Note: The only way to know for sure is to check your blood sugar once or twice around 2 am or 3 am. If it is low then but high at 7 am, it is likely the Somogyi effect.
Why does your liver release sugar when you are not eating
Your body can make sugar even when you have not eaten. This may sound strange, but it is a normal survival process called liver glucose production. When you eat, your body stores excess energy in the liver as glycogen.
At night, while you are sleeping and not eating, your liver slowly releases this stored sugar into the blood. This helps keep your brain and heart working properly. This is one main reason why fasting blood sugar exists.
In a healthy body, the pancreas releases a small amount of insulin. Insulin acts as a stop signal, telling the liver when enough sugar has been released.
But when someone has insulin resistance, this signal does not work well. The liver does not get the message to stop, so it keeps releasing sugar all night.
Because the body’s cells cannot use this sugar properly, it stays in the blood. This leads to high blood sugar levels in the morning, even after fasting for many hours.
How to lower fasting blood sugar naturally (morning blood sugar control)
These science-backed strategies can help reduce morning blood sugar spikes naturally.
1. Eat dinner earlier
If you eat a high-carb dinner late at night, then your liver gets an extra supply of energy before you sleep. During sleep, this sugar is released into the blood flow, which raises fasting glucose levels.
Tip: Aim to finish dinner 2–3 hours before bedtime.
2. Reduce refined carbohydrates at night
Refined carbs like white rice, bread, pasta, and sweets raise overnight glucose production.
Tip: Choose protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and fiber-rich foods.
3. Try apple cider vinegar before bed
Drinking 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar diluted in water before sleep may improve insulin sensitivity and lower fasting blood sugar in some people.
4. Use a bedtime snack if blood sugar drops at night
If blood sugar falls too low overnight (Somogyi effect), the liver may release excess sugar in response. You can take a handful of walnuts or a small piece of cheese. These provide slow energy and help stabilize blood sugar.
5. Walk after dinner
A short 10-15 min walk after your last meal helps muscles use that excess glucose and improves insulin sensitivity overnight. This results in lower morning blood sugar readings.
Conclusion:
A high fasting blood sugar reading in the morning is not always bad news. It is usually your body’s natural response or a reaction to low blood sugar during the night. These spikes become manageable once you understand what causes them.
Instead of focusing on one high number, look for patterns over time. Track your dinner timing, bedtime snacks, evening activity, and morning readings. Small and consistent changes often lead to steadier fasting blood sugar and calmer mornings.
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