What it means
The idea that a nighttime low, often from too much evening insulin, makes the body release stress hormones (glucagon, epinephrine, cortisol, growth hormone) that push the glucose up by morning, a "rebound." It is named after Michael Somogyi, a Hungarian-American biochemist. Some experts doubt how often it happens, but it remains a common exam idea, set beside the dawn phenomenondawn feh-NOM-ih-nonA rise in blood glucose in the early morning hours, roughly 4 to 8 a.m., without a low glucose during the night.Full entry .
For the nurse
A glucose check around 2 to 3 a.m. tells the two apart: a low reading suggests the Somogyi effect, and the usual fix is to lower the evening insulin or add a bedtime snack, as ordered.
At a glance
| Also written | Somogyi phenomenon |
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Easy to confuse with
dawn phenomenon
A rise in blood glucose in the early morning hours, roughly 4 to 8 a.m., without a low glucose during the night.
Related terms
insulin
A hormone made by the pancreas that lets the body's cells take in glucose, also made as a medicine.
hypoglycemia
A blood glucose level below normal, under 70 mg/dL.
hyperglycemia
A blood glucose level above normal, over 100 mg/dL when fasting.
dawn phenomenon
A rise in blood glucose in the early morning hours, roughly 4 to 8 a.m., without a low glucose during the night.