The right way to increase blood sugar depends on the situation. For mild to moderate low blood sugar (under 70 mg/dL), use the Rule of 15: 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrate, wait 15 minutes, recheck. For severe lows with confusion or unconsciousness, call 911 and use glucagon — do not put food in an unconscious person’s mouth. For recurrent lows, the real answer is usually a medication-dose adjustment with your clinician, not more snacking.
When Your Blood Sugar Is Low: The Rule of 15
The American Diabetes Association’s standard:
- Check blood glucose if you can; if under 70 mg/dL, proceed.
- Eat or drink 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrate.
- Wait 15 minutes, do not drive or keep exercising.
- Recheck blood glucose.
- If still under 70, repeat with another 15 grams.
- Once above 70, if your next meal is more than an hour away, eat a small balanced snack to prevent another drop.
What 15 Grams of Fast Carbs Looks Like
- 3 to 4 glucose tablets (each is typically 4 g)
- 1 tube of glucose gel (15 g)
- 4 ounces (120 mL) of juice — orange, apple, or grape
- 4 ounces (120 mL) of regular (not diet) soda
- 1 tablespoon of sugar dissolved in water
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 8 to 10 regular jelly beans
- 5 to 6 Life Savers, chewed
See our detailed guides on what to eat to get blood sugar up and how to treat low blood sugar for the full playbook.
Why You Should Not Use Fatty or Protein-Rich Foods First
These often sound like the “right” choice but slow absorption and prolong the low:
- Chocolate, candy bars with nougat
- Peanut butter alone
- Ice cream and milkshakes
- Granola bars with nuts and oats
- Whole fruit (slower than juice)
Use them after the Rule of 15 has brought you back to target, as part of the follow-up snack if your next meal is far away.
Severe Low Blood Sugar: 911 + Glucagon
If a person with diabetes is confused, unresponsive, having a seizure, or unable to swallow safely, do not try to feed them. Steps:
- Call 911.
- Administer glucagon if available — modern rescue options are designed for family members and coworkers to use without medical training:
- Baqsimi — nasal spray, 3 mg puff in one nostril; works in 10 to 15 minutes
- Gvoke HypoPen — ready-to-use autoinjector
- Zegalogue — dasiglucagon autoinjector, rapid onset
- Traditional glucagon kit — requires reconstitution; older but still used
- Place the person on their side (recovery position).
- When they wake, they may be nauseous; offer sips of juice once they can swallow safely, then a small meal.
Every person on insulin or sulfonylureas should have an unexpired glucagon kit at home and at least one household member trained to use it.
If You Have Recurrent Lows: Fix the Root Cause
Repeated hypoglycemia usually indicates a medication or regimen problem, not a need for more snacks. Common fixes:
- Reduce basal insulin dose if you have overnight lows
- Reduce mealtime insulin if you have post-meal lows 2 to 4 hours later
- Reduce sulfonylurea dose (glipizide, glimepiride, glyburide) — these carry high hypoglycemia risk
- Carbohydrate-count more accurately if you are on an insulin-to-carb ratio
- Adjust insulin timing relative to meals
- Reduce exercise-related lows with a pre-exercise snack or dose adjustment
- Avoid alcohol on an empty stomach
- Treat sleep apnea (can worsen glucose variability)
Book a visit with your diabetes team if you are having more than one low per week, any low below 54 mg/dL, or any episode requiring help from another person.
Hypoglycemia Unawareness
Some long-term diabetes patients lose the adrenaline-driven warning symptoms of hypoglycemia (shakiness, sweating, racing heart). This is called hypoglycemia unawareness and significantly raises the risk of severe lows. Treatment is usually relaxing glucose targets temporarily and using a continuous glucose monitor with low-glucose alarms to rebuild warning signs. Discuss with your clinician immediately if you have stopped noticing lows.
Special Situations
Exercise-Induced Lows
- Check glucose before, during, and after exercise
- Eat a small carb snack before prolonged or intense exercise if pre-exercise glucose is under 100 mg/dL
- Reduce basal insulin or mealtime insulin dose for planned exercise per your clinician’s rule of thumb
- Carry fast carbs during workouts
Overnight Lows
- If bedtime glucose is under 100 mg/dL on insulin, have a complex-carb plus protein snack (crackers and cheese)
- Set CGM low alerts at 80 to 85 mg/dL before sleep
- Review your basal insulin dose and timing with your clinician
- See our guide on blood sugar dropping at night
Sick-Day Lows
- Vomiting or diarrhea can cause unpredictable lows even if you have been eating
- Sip small amounts of regular juice, broth, or electrolyte drink
- Call your clinician if you cannot keep fluids down for more than 4 hours or if glucose is persistently below target
For People Without Diabetes Who Feel Shaky Between Meals
True hypoglycemia below 55 mg/dL is rare in people without diabetes. Most “feeling shaky” episodes between meals are caused by hunger, dehydration, caffeine, low blood pressure, or anxiety — not real low blood sugar. Steps that help without intentionally spiking glucose:
- Eat balanced meals with protein, fat, and fiber (not just refined carbs)
- Avoid very long gaps between meals; a small balanced snack between lunch and dinner helps
- Stay hydrated
- Keep caffeine steady rather than spiking with a huge coffee
- If you are genuinely concerned, ask your clinician about a fasting glucose, A1C, or mixed-meal tolerance test
Our guide to A1C levels covers the context.
Why Intentional Spiking Is Unhelpful
If your blood sugar is in range, eating a large sugary snack does not “fix” anything — it creates a post-meal spike and a rebound low or high that makes overall control worse. For diabetics this worsens time-in-range metrics; for non-diabetics it trains eating patterns that can move you toward prediabetes. The goal is stable, in-range glucose with balanced meals, not high-low swings.
The Bottom Line
If your blood sugar is genuinely low (under 70 mg/dL), use the Rule of 15: 15 grams of fast carbs, wait 15 minutes, recheck. For severe lows with confusion or unconsciousness, call 911 and use glucagon. For recurrent lows, the answer is usually adjusting medication with your clinician, not eating more. For people without diabetes who feel shaky between meals, the issue is usually hunger, dehydration, or stress rather than real hypoglycemia, and balanced eating solves most of it without any need to deliberately raise blood sugar.
