Hello, I’m a 12 year old that has had diabetes for 9 years and my alerts go off in the middle of the night. I have ADHD and ADD, I also have sleeping issues so I’ll usually fall asleep around 11-3 pm/am. I NEED a new room, right now I share one with my loud messy 8 year old brother. I hate my desk and my bed and just everything about my room call me ungrateful because maybe I am but that’s not my concern. My parents wake up to my alerts and that’s annoying to them, we have a room downstairs they want to move into but can’t because they need to go to my alerts and 1. They won’t hear it. 2. No one wants to walk up 18 steps at 4 am. I have my dexcom at the loudest setting (I recently broke my phone so I’m using the CGM dexcom gives you) and I still don’t wake up. Making it louder will not work because once my smoke alarm went off and it is LOUDDDD and I didn’t move an inch. I need solutions to move out of my room and not wake up my parents I AM BEGGING YOU help me! Thanks, Edison.
Hi @edison and welcome to the forums! Showing up here at 12 years of age speaks so well of you as a person.
So, my son Liam was diagnosed at 2 years of age and is now almost 9. Early on we also stopped waking up to alerts and that was very hard to deal with. We went through a similar situation as you.
Our secret which has been a saving Grace for me and enabled me to wake up, is an app called “SugarMate” (Sugarmate.io). Sugarmate allows you to receive PHONE CALLS when you are going low, instead of alerts and, after several years I am still waking up to the phone calls. I can’t recommend the app enough. I would definitely check into getting that app set up. You may need your parents help but maybe not!! Once it’s set up it’s amazing.
There are also “bed shakers” and other devices that can be configured to go off when your bgs go low or high. (Like this one - https://www.amazon.com/iLuv-SmartShaker-Vibration-Bluetooth-Notification/dp/B08V6QCBTS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?adgrpid=115576246688&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-tH-1f3M-QIVe25vBB3WzA3ZEAAYASAAEgLqZfD_BwE&hvadid=468399412965&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9008842&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=17280641170511683832&hvtargid=kwd-943440957594&hydadcr=14859_10218900&keywords=bluetooth+bed+shaker+alarm&qid=1660708634&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1). Check into those things with your parents and see if any of them work for you.
If you have any other questions please feel free to ask! Someone here will be able to help you. You are doing awesome!
I use a fitbit watch and an app on android phone called xDrip. XDrip has lots of alerts sounds, although I use the default. I think you can also record and load your own very loud sound.
But my fitbit watch always vibrates for alarms, and that always wakes me up, in addition to the app also alerting.
There is also a Bluejay watch that is described here, that is used by some folks here, which provide dexcom alerts.
I second @ClaudnDaye ’s recommendation of Sugarmate! I don’t have a problem with waking up to alarms, but have Sugarmate active anyway as a secondary alarm. I think the type of sound makes a difference, not to mention we’re trained to respond to a ringing phone (just try to ignore it). While I understand your phone is currently broken, when it gets fixed/replaced, most phones allow you to set particular numbers to a ringtone you can change and make it what works for you, like a submarine klaxon. I have one that statesm, “Warning! Warning! It’s the wife!” Make it what works for you for the number Sugarmate works from.
If you don’t wake to a smoke alarm, do you know if there is a different sound that does wake you?.
The best solution I can think of is to work at why you are constantly dropping too low and then your alarm doesn’t need to go off so much? Think of it as a project with a goal at the end, and the goal might be getting your own room. Your parents could still respond to a low if needed, but they might not mind the stairs, if it’s only once a month. You could use a baby monitor in your room so they could hear the alarms from the Dexcom receiver.
I don’t know what part you play in your dosing but you can help with what it takes to control your levels. Keeping proper track of the food you eat, maybe your activities or what is playing a part in you dropping all the time? So start learning and start keeping track by writing it down, how many carbs, how much insulin and did you drop that night or were you okay? I bet you know some of the stuff that might be causing some of the dropping and might be contributing to the lows. I know you said you’ve had type 1 for 9 years, but needs of insulin can change over time and you are reaching an age that could be happening.
And talk to your doctor about a diabetic education course for you and maybe your parents to see if they have any suggestions that might help. A lot of countries have some kind of diabetic educator or education course.
There is a closed loop system pump that hopefully will be available to you at some point. It helps automatically adjust your basal insulin dose lower when it’s program thinks you are going to drop too low. It is supposed to help stop some of the dropping too much. But it still needs the basics to work right. So start trying to learn what is causing the lows.
I can only speak for myself but it’s never a burden, no matter what time of the night. It’s a labor of love.
@ClaudeDaye I certainly agree with you! It’s just the OP was saying his parents were annoyed at getting woken up because of his alerts. And that they didn’t want to add climbing stairs if he moved into another room.
But I agree any parent would willingly always want to get woken for their kids safety…but maybe not climb stairs if they don’t have to.
I remembered reading this awhile ago and making a note to try with my older daughter, who seems to be able to sleep through anything… try putting your phone into a glass water glass (without any water!). The glass should amplify the sound of the alarm, maybe helping to wake you? Good luck and fingers crossed you’ll be able to find a solution! Jessica
I bought a sugarpixel. It has a vibration puck and a random tone generator so the alarm sound is different every time it goes off. I have literally slept through tornados and this wakes me up with no problems. The customer service is absolutely incredible to boot! I’m attaching a link to the website
Great tool, just heard from another parent that this wakes up a “dead to the world” sleeping teenager. The configuration even allows you to control the alarm setting as low as 40 mg/dl.
Cool tech
I have never heard of these apps you mentioned . I too am Type 1 and have a hard time waking up to low alarms. To tell you the truth I found that the vibrating of my Tslim pump and phone wake me up more easily. Noise I can block out, but the vibrating of these I have to get up. It works for me and I hope you find something that works for you as well. Best of luck