BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORING
Why checking your blood sugar matters, and how often you actually should.
Checking your blood sugar is one of the most important parts of living with diabetes. It shows what’s happening in real time, so you and your team can spot patterns and adjust as life changes.
Why and when to check
Frequency depends on how you treat your diabetes, your team will tailor it to you.
📌 The point of checking
Each reading is a snapshot. Together they tell a story, how food, activity, stress, and medication change your numbers, and that story is what helps you and your team make good decisions.
🩸 When to reach for a finger prick
- When your CGM reading does not match how you feel.
- When you are not sure your CGM is working properly.
💉 If you use insulin
- With a CGM or an AID system, checking happens automatically.
- With finger pricks and a basal-bolus regimen: at least six times a day, including before every meal.
- Before and during driving, sport, and partying.
- Before bed, especially after a big day out or a late evening.
- Whenever you suspect a low.
- For more on the medications themselves, see Chapter 12: Insulin & Medication.
🔄 When life changes your numbers
- Sick or feeling unwell, see Chapter 14: Sick Day Management.
- Doing sports or physical activity.
- Traveling or out of your usual routine.
- Running unusually high or low, see Chapter 13: Managing Highs & Lows.
How to check
Two main ways, many people use a mix.
🩸 Finger prick
- A small drop of blood on a test strip read by a meter.
- Used several times per day.
- Quick, accurate, and doesn’t need a sensor.
📡 Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)
- A small sensor worn on the skin reads your levels continuously.
- Shows trends and direction (rising, falling, steady).
- Most modern systems send readings to your phone or receiver and alert you to highs and lows.
📘 What the guidelines say
ISPAD, who regularly publish updated guidelines for diabetes in children and teens, recommend using a CGM from an early age in type 1 diabetes, because it leads to better blood sugar control long term.
🔔 Even smart devices need you in the loop
CGMs and modern insulin pumps do a lot automatically, they measure, alert, and some even adjust basal insulin in the background. But they still need you to watch for alerts, enter carbs at meals, and respond when something is off. Devices can also fail, so keep your finger-prick kit ready and know how to use it. The tech makes life easier; you still steer.
HbA1c, the bigger picture
Your long-term marker.
🧪 The “average” test
About every 3 months, your team will also do an HbA1c blood test. It reflects your average blood-sugar control over the previous months and complements the day-to-day picture you get from finger pricks or your CGM. For what to aim for, see Chapter 20: Blood Sugar Control Targets.