Glossary

A blood test that reflects your average glucose over roughly the past three months. It is useful for long-term trends but cannot show what happened on any particular night.

A standard one-page CGM report that overlays about two weeks of readings to show your typical day, including the overnight hours.

A system that uses CGM readings to adjust insulin automatically. Today’s systems are designed to be worn day and night.

Background insulin that covers your body's steady need between meals and overnight. On injections it is usually a long-acting insulin taken once or twice a day.

A dose of rapid-acting insulin, taken for a meal or to bring a high blood glucose reading down.

A small sensor worn on the body that measures glucose every few minutes and sends the readings to a phone or reader.

A rise in glucose in the early morning hours, caused by hormones the body releases before waking.

Your glucose after 8-12 hours without food or drinks other than water, usually when you first wake up. It reflects how the night went.

Glucose above your target range, typically above 180 mg/dL. A high during sleep is called overnight, or nocturnal, hyperglycemia.

Glucose below your target range, typically below 70 mg/dL. A low during sleep is called overnight, or nocturnal, hypoglycemia.

A pen-shaped device for injecting insulin, either disposable or refilled with cartridges.

A device worn on the body that delivers rapid-acting insulin through a small tube or a patch. Today’s pumps are designed to be worn around the clock.

A way of taking insulin with several injections a day, usually basal insulin plus a bolus at meals, using pens or syringes.

A very small dose of insulin. Automated systems deliver insulin as frequent microboluses rather than as one larger dose.

The percentage of the night your glucose stays between 70 and 180 mg/dL. A1c averages about three months into one number, so it can't show you a single night.

Automated insulin delivery for people who use insulin pens. It works only while you sleep, and there’s nothing to wear during the day.

The share of time your glucose sits between 70 and 180 mg/dL, measured by a CGM. The international consensus target for most adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes is more than 70% of the time in range.¹