Hey DM, the first 24 hours with a new sensor can be pretty unpredictable. My workaround for excessive alarms at night is to keep my iphone charging in another room out of range so it will not alarm, with the Dex receiver set on vibrate under my pillow. The receiver vibrates enough to wake me but (usually) not my wife, and the phone does not blast out it’s alarm.
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i do not (yet) have my dexcom hooked up with my iPhone. i am just using the receiver. i have it on “vibrate” but it is still quite loud. even the “soft” alarm is horrid. maybe tonight i will put it under my pillow. i like that idea.
Wow, thanks! I guess at this point it is just trial and error for me 
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Yes, I turn off my alarms during this time, too 
I do this with my Libre sensors. Lately they’ve been mostly off no matter what, but before summer, it really helped.
i finally ripped the sucker off. it kept me up all night with its vibrations and “urgent high” alerts. not only was it alarming, it was so far from reflecting my actual (finger stick) BG that it was rediculous. 
(i called dexcom tech support and they are replacing it)
so, perhaps my upper thigh is not the best sensor site after all. what next? i am leaving it off for today and tonight. i’ll put in a new one tomorrow morning or afternoon. think i will try the thigh again, just a different location. i wont give up easily
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Oh, DM, so sorry to hear this! I use my Pods on my thighs okay but have never tried the Dex there. Hope you find a site that works!
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@daisymae, it looks like you pulled the Dexcom sensor at the 5 day mark. Is that right?
If the next thigh placement does not give good results, I’d try a new area, either side/back of your arm or your low back would be my recommendations. I wonder if your Dexcom didn’t have enough skin-skin to sit in on your thigh? Or swimming and using the neighboring muscles threw it off? If I have a sensor completely stink at the 5 day mark, it seems to be in the problem areas for me. Knock on wood, I don’t have that happen in my “good” areas. YDMV.
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Allison (and all others reading this), do you put the sensor on WHILE YOU PINCH UP THE SKIN? or do you just make certain that you CAN pinch up the skin before inserting your sensor?
my CDE said that i dont need to hold the piched up skin while i attach my sensor; to just make certain that there is enough flesh there that i can pinch up. this doesnt really make sense to me, so i thought i would put my question out there. i’m still new to this.
Great question, @daisymae. I myself do pinch the skin while I insert the Dexcom. This is because I think it hurts less because I’m stabilizing the skin that I’m pushing that fairly stout needle into, and because I’m inserting it into my back which is a bit of a gymnastics routine.
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my sensor is around my back, but just visible enough that if i twist, i can get to the area. of course, i had the help of my CDE to put it on correctly in that neighborhood, so i dont know if i can repeat the process on my own. i will have to enlist my husband who is currently terrified about doing such a thing 
i really just wanted to know if you MUST pinch up the skin while inserting, or if it is NOT NECESSARY.
I don’t think you have to. Remembering back to the official Dexcom video of how to insert it on your belly, I don’t think the lady in the video pinched up while inserting.
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i just had a brilliant idea:
i’m going to call Dexcom Tech Service and ask them!!!
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We do not. I handle the insertions and will always do so while on the G5. We have discussed it and I was told this is the way it will be. lol. However I was also told this is likely to change for the G6. All good. 
So when I insert, I hold the skin on either side of the inserter where it rests on the skin. I grip the skin with just enough pressure to keep the inserter firmly in place. So there is a slight raising of the skin in this areas but nothing like we would do for a syringe insertion. I guess I would call it mild finger pressure?
Always a good idea. Really no downside. Plus they are 24x7 so you don’t have to “put it off” and then forget about it.
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i just wanted to add something i have come across lately: the more i hydrate myself, the more accurate my Dexcom seems to be.
has anyone else found this to be true? also, what do you hydrate with besides water?
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It’s true. The CGM doesn’t work as well when I’m dehydrated.
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Agreed… Hydration matters
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Yes, yes and yes! Hydration does impact accuracy off BG readings… it’s a good reminder for me to always stay adequately hydrated.
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