Ask the Diabetes Educator Archive

10/28/02

Q:
My son has had type 1 diabetes for 17 years and he does well. He recently decided he would like to start working on night shift. I was wondering if there is any advice that you could give him that would keep his blood sugar in control while switching back and forth in sleeping and eating schedule.

A:
Depending on the irregularity of his schedule, he may have to keep his long acting insulin the same (set alarm to wake up and inject), using short acting with meals. This is where an insulin like Lantus, or an insulin pump can be beneficial. Good basal control is a key here. Since he has had good control for years, he will, with patience, learn these new patterns and effectively manage them with assistance from his healthcare team.