Somogyi Effect versus Dawn Phenomenon
The dawn effect or dawn phenomenon and the Somogyi effect are quite similar to each other. People with both conditions typically experience symptoms of high blood sugar after waking up in the morning. However, the reasons behind these two effects are not the same.
The drawn effect causes a surge of blood sugar levels in early morning due to increasing levels of growth hormones and decreasing levels of insulin. Anyone may experience higher levels of blood sugar in the morning, no matter whether they suffer from diabetes or not. In people without diabetes, the body may respond to this surge by producing more insulin, which helps maintain stable levels of glucose in the blood. This plays an essential role in neutralizing the dawn phenomenon.
What differentiates the Somogyi effect from the dawn phenomenon is that it is a response of the body to low levels of blood sugar during the night. To distinguish between these two effects, you can test your levels of blood sugar at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. and in the morning. A low measure of blood sugar suggests the presence of the Somogyi effect, while a normal or high level indicates that the high blood sugar in the morning is caused by the dawn phenomenon. [5]
