Nighttime Checks: How Many and How Often?
Nighttime checks are controversial in the diabetes parent's world. Some parents argue that you need to check at least once and many times more than once per night. Others say that nighttime checks are only necessary when it's been an unusual day or you are changing doses. As the weeks and months go by, you will decide what you are comfortable with, and how often you need to check at night.
In the beginning, let your medical team lead you on how often to check. Know though, that most parents do check at least once in the middle of the night in the first weeks. Being able to sleep through the night and let your child do so as well comes with experience and confidence.
Many children are lucky enough to feel their lows. Some children report having dreams of someone telling them they are low and that waking them up. But in the beginning, as you're getting used to trusting your instincts and knowing that your child will be fine for a night, you may want to check frequently.
How to Pull It Off
If you have a deft touch, your child need never wake up for a check. Many meters now have nighttime lights that illuminate the strip area, allowing you to see it in the dark. If you don't have one of those meters, put a night-light in your child's room near his bed. Finger-prick lancets are thin enough now that most children can sleep through them. Of course, if they are low, you get to experience the fun of forcing a child to eat in the middle of the night.
Some children insist on waking up and checking themselves. If this is the case, don't worry about it disrupting your child's sleep. Most children do not even recall the next morning that they even checked.
Can You Go Too Far?
There is such a thing as too much information, and too much intervention. Some caregivers report checking their child's blood sugar as many as fourteen times a day and three to four times a night. While it would be nice to be able to know all that information, it is important to remember that you—and your child—need to live a happy, normal life within the constraints of living with diabetes. Such activity on an extended basis could be a sign of psychological trouble. If you find yourself needing to check this often, you should discuss it with your medical team and your social worker.
It is acceptable to check that often when your child is ill, particularly with a stomach bug (see Chapter 19 for sick day details), or if she is beginning a new activity, such as skiing or hiking a long distance. It is also wise to check more than once during a night if your child had a severe low that day.
Essential
Checking can be fun! Set up a bingo card with all kinds of numbers you might see on the meter (high, low, and in range). Every time your child does a check, mark the number down. Give him a prize when he gets bingo!
The first weeks can be dicey, and with everything being so new, even a trip to the supermarket can bring stress and tears. Taking it one step and one challenge at a time will help you make it to the next step: gaining confidence in your skills as a parent of a child with diabetes. Remember when you brought home a newborn. At first, everything scared you and you could barely sleep through the night.
But as days go by and your skills and education grew, so did your confidence. Eventually, you all slept through the night.
