What are normal fasting glucose levels?  Sugar levels before bed?  After a meal?

When you ask what normal blood sugar levels should be, you need to take into account a number of factors. You should also consult your own doctor to find out what YOUR blood sugar levels should be, but here are some general guidelines.

For a normal, healthy individual, fasting blood sugar levels should be between 70 – 100 mg/dl (in the fasted state i.e. first thing in the morning).

After eating a meal, higher blood sugar levels can be expected, and this will be dependent on the type of food you ate, its glycemic index, etc. 2 hours after the meal, normal blood sugar levels should be less than than 140 mg/dl as insulin should be reducing the levels of sugar in the blood.

At bed time, your sugar levels will probably be between 100 – 140 mg/dl.

A diabetic is someone with a consistent fasting blood glucose above 110 mg/dl, and this can be between 140 – 235 mg/dl after a meal.

Someone with a blood glucose levels lower than 70 mg/dl in considered hypoglycaemic.

Anyone with blood sugar levels above about 120 mg/dl is hyperglycaemic.

If your blood sugar level is regularly over 100, but below 130 mg/dl, you are considered pre-diabetic, and at risk of going on to develop full type 2 diabetes.

If your levels are constantly over 130 mg/dl, you are considered diabetic. Diabetes is tested using an oral glucose tolerance test.