Canadian Study: Bedtime Eggs May Help Lower Morning Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetes

A study from Canada suggests that what you eat before bed may meaningfully affect your fasting blood sugar levels the next morning — and the difference between a low-carb and high-carb snack could be more significant than many patients realize.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia Okanagan set out to answer a surprisingly overlooked question: if a bedtime snack is recommended for people with type 2 diabetes, what should that snack actually contain? While bedtime snacking has long been casually advised by some clinicians to stabilize overnight glucose, there was little clinical evidence guiding the recommendation — until now.

What the Researchers Did

In this randomized crossover trial, 15 adults with type 2 diabetes each tried three conditions over separate three-day periods: a low-carbohydrate, protein-rich snack (eggs), a high-carbohydrate, protein-rich snack (yogurt), and no bedtime snack at all. All three conditions were matched for total daily calories. Participants wore continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) throughout, and fasting blood samples were collected each morning of day four.

Key Findings

The egg (low-carb) bedtime snack produced significantly lower fasting plasma glucose compared to the yogurt (high-carb) snack. In US units, fasting glucose improvements were clinically meaningful — the kind of reduction that matters for patients working to bring their numbers closer to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) fasting target of 80–130 mg/dL. Nocturnal glucose levels were also notably lower with the egg snack, and insulin sensitivity (measured by the QUICKI index) improved as well.

However, there was an important nuance: neither bedtime snack significantly outperformed eating nothing at all. The key advantage of the egg snack was specifically over the yogurt snack — not over skipping the snack entirely.

Converting the Numbers

Canadian research commonly reports glucose in mmol/L. For US patients accustomed to mg/dL, here's the conversion: 1 mmol/L = 18 mg/dL. A fasting glucose of 7.0 mmol/L equals 126 mg/dL — the threshold for a diabetes diagnosis per US guidelines. Nocturnal reductions in the egg condition translated to meaningful improvements within that same range.

Why This Matters for US Patients

Millions of Americans with type 2 diabetes struggle specifically with high fasting glucose — often driven by the liver releasing excess glucose overnight, a condition called hepatic insulin resistance. This Canadian research directly targets that problem with a practical, accessible solution: a simple egg-based snack before bed.

While the ADA's Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes emphasizes individualized meal planning, it offers limited specific guidance on bedtime snack composition. This study provides real-world, evidence-based direction that American patients can bring to conversations with their care team.

The study's crossover design — where every participant tried every condition — makes the findings especially reliable despite the small sample size. It's also worth noting that eggs are widely available, affordable, and already a familiar food for most US patients.

The Bottom Line

If you have type 2 diabetes and your doctor has suggested a bedtime snack, this Canadian research suggests choosing low-carb, protein-rich options like eggs over high-carb choices like sweetened yogurt. As always, discuss any dietary changes with your diabetes care provider before making adjustments to your routine.

Source: Abbie, Francois, Chang. "A low-carbohydrate protein-rich bedtime snack to control fasting and nocturnal glucose in type 2 diabetes: A randomized trial." Clinical Nutrition, 2020. PMID: 32204977. DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2020.03.008