How Blood Sugar Affects Your Sleep (And What to Do About It)

Orie Quinn
May 12
2 min read

Have you ever laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, knowing you’re exhausted… yet your body just won’t let you fall asleep? Or maybe you fall asleep easily—but around 3 a.m., you’re wide awake, heart racing, mind spinning. I’ve had patients tell me, "I’m doing all the right things. I cut caffeine. I meditate. I even wear blue-light blockers!" And still—sleep eludes them. What many people don’t realize is that blood sugar imbalances are one of the most overlooked causes of sleep disruption. And often, it’s not about eating "better"—it’s about eating in a way that supports your body’s unique rhythm.

The Connection Between Blood Sugar and Sleep

Throughout the night, your body runs on a delicate balance of hormones—cortisol, melatonin, insulin, and glucose. When that balance is disrupted, it can trigger the body to wake up in survival mode. For example:

If your blood sugar drops too low while you’re asleep, cortisol (your stress hormone) spikes to bring it back up.
That cortisol spike = you wake up suddenly, often with anxiety, sweating, or restlessness.
On the flip side, if blood sugar is chronically high from insulin resistance, it can interfere with melatonin production and prevent deep, restorative sleep.

The key is understanding which pattern your body is operating under.

The Two Most Common Blood Sugar Patterns I See Clinically

1. Functional Hypoglycemia

This shows up when blood sugar drops too low—usually between meals or overnight. It’s common in people who:

Skip meals
Eat lots of carbs without enough protein or fat
Overtrain
Rely on caffeine or sugar to function

Sleep signs:

Waking between 2–4 a.m.
Feeling wired and restless at night
Anxiety when hungry

2. Insulin Resistance (Hyperglycemia)

This is the other extreme—where cells become less responsive to insulin, causing blood sugar to stay elevated. It’s common in those who:

Eat frequent refined carbs or sugary snacks
Live with chronic stress
Struggle with belly weight gain
Have low muscle mass

Sleep signs:

Trouble falling asleep
Waking up not feeling rested
Craving sugar first thing in the morning

What You Can Do: Lifestyle Fixes That Work

For Hypoglycemia:

Eat every 3–4 hours with protein and fat to stabilize blood sugar
High-protein breakfast (skip the coffee-only mornings)
Avoid caffeine on an empty stomach
Cut high-sugar snacks; use nuts, seeds, or protein as snacks
Prioritize sleep and stress recovery

For Insulin Resistance:

Walk after meals to help regulate glucose
Try 12–14-hour intermittent fasting (not extreme)
Ditch refined carbs for whole foods with fiber
Lift weights 2–3x/week—build muscle = burn sugar
Get 7–9 hours of deep, consistent sleep

Want to Know Which Pattern You’re In?

The good news? It’s testable. We run simple, targeted blood work to check fasting glucose, insulin, A1c, and cortisol rhythms. This gives us clarity on what’s happening under the surface—so we can match the right plan to your body’s needs.