Doing only fasting and post-prandial (PP) blood sugar tests once every 3–4 months isn’t enough. To understand how much your blood sugar fluctuates through the day, regular monitoring is essential.
Diabetes often forces a complete lifestyle overhaul with strict diet, regular physical activity, and routine medication. But many patients don’t monitor their sugar levels daily. Some rely on a fasting and PP test once every few months, which is not helpful. In reality, you may need to check your sugar up to six times a day.
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When should you measure your sugar level?
Right after waking up on an empty stomach. There should be an 8–10 hour gap between dinner and this test.
Two hours after breakfast.
Thirty minutes before lunch and two hours after lunch.
Dinner follows the same pattern - 30 minutes before eating and two hours after the meal.
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Record these readings in a diary. Carry this with you during doctor visits so that your physician can better assess your sugar fluctuations and guide your treatment.
Those on insulin or with uncontrolled sugar levels must follow this six-times-a-day schedule. But if your blood sugar is well controlled, you don’t need daily monitoring but a fasting and PP test once a month is important.
