The fastest way to increase blood sugar is to consume 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates, such as glucose tablets, juice, or honey, then wait 15 minutes and recheck. Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL is considered low and needs to be treated promptly. Whether you’re dealing with an acute drop or trying to keep your levels from falling throughout the day, the approach depends on how urgent the situation is.
Recognizing Low Blood Sugar
Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is classified in three levels. Level 1 is a reading between 54 and 69 mg/dL. You’ll likely feel shaky, jittery, hungry, or lightheaded. Your heart may beat faster than normal, and you might have trouble concentrating. Level 2 kicks in below 54 mg/dL, where the brain starts losing its fuel supply. Confusion worsens, vision may blur, and speech can become difficult. Level 3 is a medical emergency: you may lose consciousness or have a seizure, regardless of what the number on your meter says.
Hypoglycemia can also happen while you sleep. Signs include waking up sweaty, with damp sheets or pajamas, or feeling unusually tired, irritable, or confused in the morning. Some people cry out or have nightmares without remembering them.
The Rule of 15 for a Quick Fix
When your blood sugar drops below 70 mg/dL, the standard protocol is simple: eat or drink 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates, wait 15 minutes, then test again. If you’re still below 70, repeat. Each of these options delivers roughly 15 grams:
- Glucose tablets: 3 to 4 tablets
- Fruit juice or regular soda (not diet): 4 to 6 ounces (about half a cup)
- Honey: 1 tablespoon
- Table sugar: 1 tablespoon
- Hard candy: 6 Life Savers
Glucose tablets are the most precise option because each tablet is a measured dose, typically 4 grams. Juice and soda work well but can be easy to over-pour, which may send blood sugar too high. Diet drinks, sugar-free candy, and chocolate bars won’t work here. You need pure, simple sugar that hits your bloodstream fast.
What to Eat After Your Levels Come Back Up
Fast-acting sugar raises blood glucose quickly, but the effect is short-lived. Without a follow-up snack, your levels can drop right back down. Once your reading is above 70 mg/dL, eat something that combines carbohydrates with protein or fat. This slows digestion and keeps your blood sugar more stable over the next few hours.
Good follow-up snacks include an apple with nut butter, whole-grain crackers with cheese, Greek yogurt with berries, or a handful of nuts. Nuts are especially convenient because they contain carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fat in one food. The goal is to pair a carb with something that slows its absorption so you avoid another crash.
Preventing Drops Before Exercise
Physical activity pulls glucose out of your bloodstream and into your muscles, which can trigger a drop during or after a workout. The American Diabetes Association recommends checking your blood sugar before exercise. If your reading is 100 mg/dL or lower, eat 15 to 20 grams of carbohydrates before starting, then recheck after 15 minutes. If it’s still below 100, have another 15-gram serving.
For longer workouts, you may need a small snack partway through or an adjustment to your medication timing. A combination of both is sometimes necessary for extended activity like hiking, cycling, or long runs. Planning ahead matters more than reacting after the fact.
Keeping Blood Sugar Stable Between Meals
If your blood sugar regularly dips between meals or a few hours after eating, the pattern of what you eat matters as much as how much. Meals built around complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fat create a gradual rise and fall in blood sugar instead of a spike followed by a crash. Complex carbohydrates like brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and barley digest more slowly than white bread or sugary snacks.
Pairing those carbs with protein (eggs, lean meat, fish, beans, cottage cheese, tofu) and a source of healthy fat (olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds) slows digestion further. This combination is the foundation of managing reactive hypoglycemia, a condition where blood sugar drops too low in the hours after a meal because the body overreacts to a sugar spike.
Eating smaller meals or snacks every two to four hours also helps prevent dips. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower are high in fiber and keep things steady. Starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas should be eaten in smaller portions. And if you drink alcohol, have it with food rather than on an empty stomach, since alcohol can interfere with your liver’s ability to release stored glucose.
Preventing Nighttime Drops
If you take insulin or certain diabetes medications, you may need a bedtime snack to prevent blood sugar from falling overnight. A small balanced snack, something with carbs and protein like whole-grain toast with nut butter or cheese with crackers, can bridge the gap between dinner and morning. If you find yourself needing a late-night snack regularly, that’s a signal your medication dose may need adjusting.
When Someone Can’t Eat or Drink
Severe hypoglycemia can cause a person to lose consciousness or have a seizure. In that situation, never put food or liquid in their mouth because they could choke. This is when glucagon, an emergency hormone that signals the liver to release stored sugar, is needed. It comes in injectable forms, including prefilled syringes and auto-injectors designed for use by a family member or bystander. The injection goes under the skin of the stomach, thigh, or upper arm. If you or someone in your household uses insulin, having a glucagon kit accessible and making sure others know where it is and how to use it can be lifesaving.
Target Ranges to Aim For
For most nonpregnant adults with diabetes, current guidelines recommend a blood sugar between 80 and 130 mg/dL before meals. After eating, the peak should stay below 180 mg/dL, measured one to two hours after the start of a meal. These targets help frame what “too low” actually means in context: if you’re consistently landing below 80 before meals or dipping under 70 at any point, your management plan likely needs a closer look.