What to write in a blood sugar diary
A useful blood sugar diary records each reading with its unit, the date and time, and the context: before or after a meal, fasting, or at bedtime. Add what you ate, any medicines or insulin you took, activity, and notes about how you felt, so you and your care team can spot patterns.
What should a blood sugar diary include?
- The reading and its unit. For example 126 mg/dL or 7.0 mmol/L.
- The date and time. Record it as soon as you can.
- The context. Fasting, before a meal, after a meal or at bedtime.
- Food. What you ate and roughly how much. Add carbohydrate amounts if you know them.
- Medicines and insulin. The name, amount and time, copied from your own plan or label.
- Activity. What you did and for how long.
- Notes. Illness, stress, poor sleep, travel or anything unusual.
Why does context matter?
A single number says little on its own. A reading of 140 before breakfast means something different from 140 two hours after a large meal. Writing the context makes patterns easier to see, for you and for your care team.
A simple diary template
| Time | Reading | Context | Food and medicines | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 am | 6.1 mmol/L | Fasting | Breakfast: oats and fruit | Slept well |
| 1:15 pm | 8.4 mmol/L | 2 hours after lunch | Rice, dal, salad | Short walk after |
| 10:00 pm | 6.8 mmol/L | Bedtime | None |
These numbers are made up to show the layout. They are not targets.
Tips that make a diary easier to keep
- Record right away, not at the end of the day.
- Use the same unit every time.
- Keep it short. A reading and one word of context is better than an empty page.
- Take it, or a printout, to your appointments.
Paper, spreadsheet or app?
The best diary is the one you actually keep. Paper and spreadsheets are fine. An app can add the time automatically, draw your readings on a line and prepare a summary for your care team. Glycove is being built to let you simply say your reading and have the rest filled in.
Information, not medical advice. Talk to your care team about your own targets and treatment. Never use a converter or a diary entry to work out an insulin or medicine dose.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I check my blood sugar?
That depends on your type of diabetes, your treatment and your care plan. Ask your care team how often to check and when.
Should I write down every meal?
It helps to record meals around your readings, with rough portions or carbohydrate amounts if you know them. Your care team can tell you how much detail is useful.
Can Glycove keep the diary for me?
Glycove is designed so you can say or type your reading, insulin or meal and have it saved with the time. It does not decide or suggest doses.
Keep reading
Printable blood sugar log
A free printable weekly blood sugar log with columns for each time of day, insulin or medicines and notes. Print it or download the spreadsheet.
Daily habits and self-carePrepare for an appointment
What to bring to a diabetes appointment, which numbers to summarize and a list of questions to ask your care team.
Daily habits and self-careLogging insulin
What to write when you record an insulin dose: name, units, time and context. A guide to keeping an accurate record without calculating doses.