Your body can not control your blood sugar levels. Keeping your blood sugar within recommended ranges is important because it can lead to serious problems.

Your age, health, and diabetes management goals can affect your recommended blood sugar range.

The recommended ranges for blood sugar and A1C are shown in the charts in the article.

If you have a blood sugar level that is in a normal range, you can determine if it is a problem.

The general recommendation for blood sugar target level may vary due to:

  • Your overall health.
  • Your age.
  • the presence of other health conditions (known as comorbidities)
  • The length of time you have had diabetes.

A doctor or healthcare professional will tell you what the target range is for you based on your health and medical history.

Recommended blood sugar range for adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and children with type 2 diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, these ranges are recommended for adults with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes and for children with type 2 diabetes:

Time Recommended blood sugar range
Fasting (before eating) 80–130 mg/dL
1–2 hours after a meal Lower than 180 mg/dL

The ranges are adjusted for children under 18 years with type 1 diabetes, pregnant people, and people with gestational diabetes.

Blood sugar range for children under 18 years with type 1 diabetes

The chart below shows the recommended blood sugar range for children under 18 years with type 1 diabetes.

Time Recommended blood sugar range
Fasting (before eating) 90–130 mg/dL
Bedtime and overnight 90–150 mg/dL

Recommended blood sugar range for pregnant people with type 1 diabetes

The chart below outlines the recommended blood sugar range for people who are pregnant and have type 1 diabetes.

Time Recommended blood sugar range
Fasting (before eating) Lower than 95 mg/dL
1 hour after a meal 140 mg/dL or less
2 hours after a meal 120 mg/dL or less

Blood sugar range for people with gestational diabetes

The chart below shows the recommended blood sugar range for people with gestational diabetes.

Time Recommended blood sugar range
Fasting (before eating) Lower than 95 mg/dL
1 hour after a meal 140 mg/dL or less
2 hours after a meal 120 mg/dL or less

Recommended blood sugar if you don’t have diabetes

The standard blood sugar range is the same for people without diabetes. A doctor may set different goals for you.

If you have a number of risk factors for diabetes, a doctor might want your blood sugar to be within a tighter range.

The standard blood sugar range for people who don’t have diabetes is outlined in the chart below.

Time Recommended blood sugar range
Fasting (before eating) 99 mg/dL or below
1–2 hours after a meal 140 mg/dL or below

AIC is a measure of your average blood sugar over the past 3 months. To have your A1C measured, you’ll need a blood draw.

When sugar enters your bloodstream, it bonds to a hemoglobin molecule. People with high blood sugar have a higher percentage of the hemoglobinProtein coated with sugar. Your A1C result will show you the percentage of your hemoglobin that is bound to sugar.

In the chart below you can see whether your A1C result falls into a “normal” range or whether it could be a sign of prediabetes or diabetes.

Diagnosis A1C result
Standard (“normal”) Less than 5.7%
Prediabetes Between 5.7% and 6.5%
Diabetes More than 6.5%

People with diabetes should keep their A1C below 7 percent.

Other health conditions and health goals might change this. A doctor will tell you if you have a different A1C goal.

Keeping track of your blood sugar is one of the most important elements of diabetes management.

Monitoring your blood sugar and knowing what can cause it to rise or fall can help you and your health team develop a diabetes care plan.

Measure your blood sugar to help you.

  • How medications affect your blood sugar levels can be monitored.
  • Determine how your food choices affect your blood sugar.
  • determine whether exercise or other lifestyle changes are impacting your blood sugar levels
  • Keep track of your progress.

Even if you don’t have diabetes, it’s a good idea to get your blood sugar checked periodically. A doctor might order a blood sugar test as part of an annual physical. If you have any risk factors for diabetes, you may need to get your blood sugar checked more often.

High blood sugar levels, known as hyperglycemia, can make you feel tired or thirsty and can even make your vision blurry. Many factors can cause a spike in your blood sugar, including:

  • Stress.
  • Illness.
  • Taking too little of the drug.
  • Eating more calories than usual.
  • Being less active than usual.

High blood sugar can lead to serious problems over time.

Fast-acting insulin

If your blood sugar is higher than recommended, you can bring it down by taking fast-acting insulin. Talk with a doctor about how much insulin you should take if your blood sugar is above a certain level.

“You should take into account any existing diabetes you have in your body. If you still have some that haven’t taken effect, you should avoid taking too much if you can. This could cause your blood sugar to go down.”

“You should check your blood sugar within 30 minutes after you administer the drug to make sure it doesn’t go down too low.”

Exercise

Another effective way to lower your blood sugar is to exercise. When you’re physically active, your body uses up excess glucose in your blood. However, if you have severe hyperglycemia, you should avoid exercise as it can speed up ketoacidosis, a potentially life threatening condition.

If you have been having spikes in your blood sugar levels, you should talk to a healthcare professional. They may want to work with you to modify your diet plan.

Low blood sugar is defined as blood sugar below 70 milligrams (mg) per deciliter (dL). If your blood sugar drops too low, you might feel:

  • dizzy or light-headed.
  • shaky
  • hungry
  • Is it really so?
  • tired
  • unable to concentrate

If your blood sugar stays low, you can become confused and have trouble seeing. Blood sugar can be low for a long time and can lead to serious problems.

The rule of 15

Low blood sugar is more common in people with type 1 diabetes. It’s recommended that you treat low blood sugar using the “15-15 rule.” You do this by following these steps:

  1. Wait 15 minutes after consuming 15 g of Carbohydrates.
  2. You should test your blood sugar after 15 minutes.
  3. If your blood sugar goes above 70, you can stop.
  4. If your blood sugar is still below 70, you should consume another 15 g of sugars and wait another 15 minutes.
  5. Continue until your blood sugar returns to normal.

You can get 15 g of Carbohydrates from 4 tablets, half a cup of juice or regular soda, or a little honey.

If your blood sugar falls too low, you should talk to a doctor. You might need to change the amount ofinsulin you take or the time you take it.

It is a good idea to note the symptoms you experience during a low blood sugar episode and how long it takes for your blood sugar to recover. This information can help the doctor with the care plan for you.

Monitoring your blood sugar is important for diabetes management. If your blood sugar levels consistently fall within the recommended range, you know that your diabetes treatments are working.

Blood sugar ranges are general guidelines. You might have a slightly different recommended blood sugar range depending on Your overall health., age, The length of time you have had diabetes., and other factors.

If your blood sugar levels spike too high or drop too low, you should talk to a healthcare professional about changing your diabetes management plan.