Fear of Hypoglycemia: The T1D Sleep Problem That Doesn't Show Up in Your CGM Data

SHOW NOTES:

Your CGM says 115. Flat arrow. No active insulin. You've checked it twice. The number is completely fine. And you're still awake at 2:48am.

This is not you being dramatic. This has a name: Fear of Hypoglycemia (FOH). It's a documented, peer-reviewed phenomenon in T1D populations -- a specific pattern of nighttime hypervigilance that persists even when blood sugar is stable. The anxiety is the disruptor, independent of the actual glucose level. And it's one of the most undernamed contributors to T1D sleep disruption.

In this episode, Neil explains where Fear of Hypoglycemia comes from, why it makes complete sense that it developed, and why having the name for it changes how you relate to the 2am wake-up. Nobody told most T1D people this name. That's the problem this episode is here to fix.

We're in Week 6 of the While You Were Sleeping Challenge.

In this episode:

What Fear of Hypoglycemia actually is and what peer-reviewed research says about it
Why the overnight hypervigilance response is a rational system with an irrational trigger
The difference between "I'm being irrational" and "I have a documented T1D sleep phenomenon"
Why naming FOH changes how you relate to being awake at 2am with a perfect number
What comes next: what you can actually do about it

This Week's Challenge: Have you ever been awake at 2am with a completely stable blood sugar and still couldn't sleep? Just acknowledge that it happened. That's the whole challenge.

Helpful resources and newsletter: https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Connect with Neil: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the.betes Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebetes Facebook: https://facebook.com/neilgreathouse LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/neil-greathouse-a607b912 Website: https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Books on Amazon: Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time: https://a.co/d/6UHooWJ Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories: https://a.co/d/dfIlyI1

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