Type 1 Diabetes & Daylight Saving Time: Sleep & Blood Sugar Effects

Disclaimer: While I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist with Type 1 Diabetes myself, this blog post is not intended as medical advice. I'm sharing from my personal experience and professional knowledge, but your diabetes management should always be discussed with your healthcare team. What works for me or others may need to be adjusted for your unique situation.

A Special Diaversary Gift

Before we dive into daylight saving time and what it does to your blood sugar, I have something exciting to share with you.

My diabetes became a teenager yesterday, November 3rd. Thirteen years of living with Type 1 Diabetes. Thirteen years of highs and lows (literally). Thirteen years of learning, adapting, and figuring out how to not just survive with this condition, but actually thrive with it.

And in that spirit of celebrating this milestone, I want to give you two gifts:

Gift #1: A free copy of my book, "You Have Permission" - grab it at typeonetypefun.com/free-book

Gift #2: A free consultation call with me to strategize what you may need for your blood sugar success - schedule it at calendly.com/typeonetypefun/30min

Because if there's one thing I've learned in thirteen years, it's that we all deserve support, strategy, and someone who actually understands what it's like to live in this body.

Now, let's jump into daylight saving time and time changes.

The Daylight Saving Time Question Everyone Asks

November 2nd, 2025, at 2:00 AM, most of us "fell back" an hour. (Unless you live in Arizona or Hawaii, in which case, this might be more relevant when you're traveling to different time zones, but feel free to keep reading anyway!)

And like clockwork (pun intended), my inbox and DMs fill up with the same question every single time we change the clocks:

"Should I change the timing of my long-acting insulin because of the time change?"

Here's my usual suggestion: it doesn't make too much of a difference since it's only an hour, so if you want to change it to stay consistent, you can. And if you don't want to change it, you don't have to.

Let me break this down a bit more.

If You Want to Adjust Your Long-Acting Insulin Timing

Some people are really particular about taking their long-acting insulin at the exact same time every day. If that's you, and the thought of being an hour off feels stressful or like it might impact your blood sugar control, you could consider adjusting.

For example:

• If you normally take your long-acting insulin at 9:00 PM before the time change, you might continue taking it at 9:00 PM after the time change (which would technically be 8:00 PM in "old time")
• Or you could gradually shift it by 15-20 minutes over a few days if you want to ease into the new time

If You Don't Want to Adjust

Here's the thing: one hour is not a massive shift for most people. Your body is pretty adaptable, and your long-acting insulin has a duration that typically covers well beyond that one-hour window.

If you normally take your long-acting insulin at 9:00 PM and you just keep taking it at 9:00 PM (which is now technically an hour different), your body will likely adjust just fine.

There's no universal "right" answer here. You might consider what feels best for your routine and your blood sugar patterns. If you're unsure, you could always reach out to your healthcare team, or better yet, schedule that free call with me and we can talk through what makes sense for your specific situation.

The Real Issue: Sleep Disruption

But here's what I really want to talk about, because this is where daylight saving time actually impacts most people with Type 1 Diabetes.

It's not really about the one-hour timing change for your insulin. It's about the sleep disruption.

One of the biggest aspects of daylight saving time changing is not actually the timing itself (although that does contribute), but it's often the sleep disruption that we experience. Different sleep patterns mess with our circadian rhythm, and circadian rhythm has a massive connection to blood sugar management.

Let me explain why this matters so much.

Sleep and Blood Sugar: The Connection You Need to Understand

In my book (the one I'm giving you for free at typeonetypefun.com/free-book), I talk extensively about the biological factors that affect blood glucose. And sleep is a huge one.

Too little sleep is inflammatory on the body. When your body is dealing with inflammation, you might see blood sugar spikes. It's not always obvious, and it's not always immediate, but chronic poor sleep or even just a few nights of disrupted sleep can make your insulin less effective and your blood sugars harder to manage.

Think about it: when you're exhausted, your body is under stress. And stress (whether it's physical, emotional, or sleep-related) can elevate blood sugar. Your body releases stress hormones like cortisol, which can increase insulin resistance and make it harder to bring blood sugars down even with your usual insulin doses.

What Happens to Blood Sugar During Sleep

Here's something that might surprise you: blood sugar during sleep can be stable, spike, drop, or have multiple responses. There are so many factors that contribute to what happens overnight, and daylight saving time can throw a wrench into patterns that were previously working well.

Some things that might be happening while you sleep:

Dawn Phenomenon: This is when you experience a blood sugar spike in the early morning hours due to cortisol release. Your body naturally releases cortisol as part of waking up, and for many people with Type 1 Diabetes, this causes a rise in blood sugar between roughly 4:00 AM and 8:00 AM.

When daylight saving time shifts your sleep schedule, even by just an hour, it can shift when this cortisol release happens relative to when you actually wake up, potentially making dawn phenomenon more noticeable or harder to manage.

Foot-on-the-Floor Effect: This is related to dawn phenomenon but slightly different. It's when your blood sugar spikes as soon as you wake up and stand up, even if it was stable all night. The act of getting out of bed triggers a hormonal response (again, cortisol and other hormones), and boom, your blood sugar shoots up.

If you're waking up at a different time relative to your body's internal clock because of the time change, you might notice this effect behaving differently than usual.

Somogyi Effect: This is basically a rebound spike from a nighttime low. Your blood sugar drops low while you're sleeping (maybe you didn't notice, maybe your body corrected it on its own), and then your body overcompensates by releasing glucose from your liver, causing a high blood sugar in the morning.

Sleep disruption from daylight saving time can make overnight lows more likely (because your routine is off, your dinner timing might be different, your activity level might have shifted), which then sets you up for that rebound high.

Why Circadian Rhythm Matters

Your circadian rhythm is essentially your body's internal clock. It regulates when you feel tired, when you wake up, when you're hungry, when certain hormones are released, and yes, it impacts your insulin sensitivity throughout the day.

When daylight saving time disrupts your circadian rhythm (even slightly), it can temporarily throw off:

• Your hunger cues (you might feel hungry at different times)
• Your insulin sensitivity (you might need more or less insulin at certain times of day)
• Your energy levels (which impacts how active you are, which impacts blood sugar)
• Your sleep quality (which we've already established impacts blood sugar)

This is why some people notice their blood sugars seem "off" for several days or even a week or two after the time change, even though it's "just" one hour.

So What Can You Actually Do About It?

I'm not going to tell you there's some magic solution that makes daylight saving time not affect your diabetes. But there are some strategies you might consider to minimize the disruption.

Strategy #1: Prioritize Sleep Quality

If sleep disruption is the real issue here, then protecting your sleep quality becomes even more important during the transition.

You might consider:

• Going to bed 15-30 minutes earlier than usual for a few nights to help your body adjust
• Keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
• Avoiding screens for at least 30 minutes before bed (I know, I know, but blue light really does impact sleep quality)
• Being consistent with your bedtime and wake time, even on weekends, to help reset your circadian rhythm faster

Better sleep quality can mean more stable blood sugars and less inflammation in your body overall.

Strategy #2: Check Your Blood Sugar More Frequently

During the week or two after the time change, you might consider checking your blood sugar a bit more often than usual. If you have a CGM, you're already getting continuous data, but you might pay extra attention to the patterns.

Are you spiking at different times than usual? Dropping unexpectedly? Running higher or lower overall? This information helps you adjust your insulin, food timing, or activity level to compensate.

You're not looking for perfection. You're looking for trends so you can respond appropriately.

Strategy #3: Be Flexible with Your Expectations

This is a big one. Your blood sugars might just be a little wonky for a few days, and that's okay. It doesn't mean you're doing something wrong. It doesn't mean your diabetes management is falling apart. It means your body is adjusting to a disruption.

You might need to give yourself permission to:

• Take more correction doses than usual without feeling like you "failed"
• Treat more lows without guilt
• Accept that your CGM graph might look a little messier than usual

This is temporary. Your body will adjust. And being kind to yourself through the process makes it so much easier.

Strategy #4: Adjust Your Basal/Long-Acting Insulin If Needed

If you notice consistent patterns during the adjustment period (like you're running high every morning, or you're going low every afternoon), you might consider making small tweaks to your basal insulin or long-acting insulin dosing.

Important: You might want to talk to your healthcare team before making these adjustments, especially if you're unsure. Or again, hop on that free call with me and we can strategize together: calendly.com/typeonetypefun/30min

Small adjustments can make a big difference, but you want to make sure you're adjusting the right thing for the right reason.

Strategy #5: Stay Hydrated and Keep Moving

Remember from earlier: dehydration can make blood sugar management harder. And when our sleep is disrupted, we sometimes forget basic self-care things like drinking enough water.

You might consider:

• Keeping a water bottle with you and sipping throughout the day
• Going for short walks, especially if you're feeling sluggish from the time change (light movement can help regulate blood sugar and improve sleep quality)
• Not using caffeine as a crutch for poor sleep (I know it's tempting, but too much caffeine can spike blood sugar and further disrupt sleep)

Taking care of your body holistically helps your diabetes management in ways that aren't always obvious.

Bonus for My Fellow Nerds: The Data Gap and Overlap

Okay, this section is just for fun if you're a data nerd like me.

If you go to download a pump or CGM report after daylight saving time in November, you will notice during this month there is an overlap in data since we jumped back 1 hour. Basically, you'll see two sets of data for the same clock time because we "re-lived" that hour.

And in March, when we spring forward, you'll notice a gap in data because we skipped an hour entirely.

This doesn't impact your actual diabetes management, but it can make looking at reports a little confusing if you're not expecting it. Now you know!

When to Reach Out for Support

Look, daylight saving time is just one small thing in the grand scheme of managing Type 1 Diabetes. But sometimes it's these little disruptions that highlight bigger struggles or patterns you've been dealing with.

If you're feeling:

• Insecure about your diabetes management
• Lonely or isolated in this experience
• Overwhelmed by all the factors that impact your blood sugar
• Frustrated that your blood sugars aren't making sense
• Burnt out from managing this 24/7
• Worried about the upcoming holiday season (because let's be real, that's coming fast)

Please reach out to me for a one-on-one chat. I would love to work with you.

You can schedule a free 30-minute consultation call here: calendly.com/typeonetypefun/30min

We'll talk about where you're at, what you're struggling with, and how I can support you in creating strategies that actually work for your life. No judgment. No shame. Just real, practical help from someone who truly gets it.

And don't forget to grab your free copy of my book at typeonetypefun.com/free-book - it dives deep into all the factors that impact blood sugar (way beyond just sleep and time changes) and gives you permission to break the harmful rules you've been taught about diabetes.

Final Thoughts

Daylight saving time is a small disruption, but it can feel like a big deal when you're already managing the daily complexity of Type 1 Diabetes. The one-hour time change itself probably won't make or break your diabetes management, but the sleep disruption that comes with it can definitely impact your blood sugars for a few days or weeks.

Be patient with yourself. Check your blood sugar more frequently if needed. Prioritize sleep quality. Stay hydrated. And remember that temporary wonky blood sugars don't define you or your ability to manage this condition well.

You're doing an incredible job. And if you need support figuring out strategies that work better for you, I'm here.

Take care of yourself, and happy (late) diaversary to my pancreas for making it thirteen years!

Struggling with blood sugar patterns that don't make sense? Feeling overwhelmed by diabetes management? Let's chat about strategies that could work better for you: calendly.com/typeonetypefun/30min