Your blood glucose (sugar) levels are a critical part of your overall health and your body’s ability to function properly.
For those of us with diabetes, striving to achieve “normal” blood sugar levels is a constant, hour-by-hour pursuit. And it isn’t easy.
In this article, we’ll look at normal blood sugar levels and goal ranges for people without diabetes and recommended blood sugar goals for people with prediabetes, type 1 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes.
Table of Contents
- Normal blood sugar ranges in people without diabetes (chart)
- Recommended blood sugar ranges in people with diabetes (chart)
- How do you know what your blood glucose level is?
- Diagnosing prediabetes, type 1, and type 2 diabetes
- Your A1c and blood sugar goals
- Your blood sugar isn’t just because of what you eat
- Final thoughts: Still frustrated with your blood sugar and A1c results?
Normal blood sugar ranges in people without diabetes (chart)
For a person without any type of diabetes, blood sugar levels are generally between 70 to 99 mg/dL (3.9 to 5.5 mmol/L) fasting and under 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) after a meal.
Here are the normal blood sugar ranges for a person without diabetes according to the NIH:
Fasting Blood Sugar (e.g., In the Morning Before Eating) | Less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) |
1 to 2 Hours After a Meal | Less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) |
2 to 3 Hours After a Meal | Less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) |
Recommended blood sugar ranges in people with diabetes (chart)
Here are the generally recommended blood sugar ranges for a person with diabetes according to the ADA:
Fasting Blood Sugar (e.g., In the Morning Before Eating) | 80 to 130 mg/dL (4.4 to 7.2 mmol/L) |
1 to 2 Hours After a Meal | Less than 180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L) |
Learn more about fasting and after-meal blood sugar levels in: Blood Sugar Chart: Blood Sugar and A1c Targets.
How do you know what your blood glucose level is?
Unless it’s fairly high or low, you generally can’t feel what your blood sugar level is. And in fact, you may not even be able to tell from physical symptoms when it is high or low.
The best way to know your blood sugar level is to either check it with a traditional glucose meter or use a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) device.
For a glucose meter, you do a finger-stick with a lancet, put a drop of blood onto a test strip, and then insert the strip into the meter for a reading. With a CGM, readings are taken from the interstitial fluid (the fluid between the cells) about every 5 minutes via a sensor inserted just under the skin.
Diagnosing prediabetes, type 1, and type 2 diabetes
The following are tests that may be used by your healthcare provider to determine if you have diabetes:
Tests used to diagnose diabetes
Fasting plasma glucose test
This test measures your glucose level at a single point in time, typically after you have been fasting (nothing to eat or drink except water) for at least 8 hours.
Random glucose test
This test measures your glucose level at a single point in time and may be given at any time, whether you have fasted or not.
Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
For this test, you will have a blood sample taken after fasting for at least 8 hours. Next, you will drink a liquid high in sugar and will have another blood sample taken after 2 hours to see how your blood glucose levels have changed.
(In those who are pregnant, glucose will be checked every hour for 2 to 3 hours to test for gestational diabetes.)
A1c test
This blood test reflects your average glucose levels over the previous 2 to 3 months. You can eat and drink prior to having an A1c test.
A repeat of these tests is typically required to confirm a diabetes diagnosis.
Test results for diagnosing diabetes (chart)
The following blood sugar and A1c results (a measure of glucose control over the previous 2 to 3 months) are used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes, according to the ADA:
A1c | Fasting Glucose | 2 Hours After a Meal | |
Prediabetes | 5.7 to 6.4 percent | 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) | 140 mg/dL to 199 mg to dL (7.8 to 11.1 mmol/L) |
Diabetes (type 1 or type 2) | 6.5 percent or higher | 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or higher | 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher |
Learn more about diagnosing diabetes in: Types of Diabetes.
Please note: Type 1 diabetes tends to develop very quickly, which means that by the time symptoms are felt, blood sugar levels are often well above 200 mg/dL all the time. For many people, symptoms come on so quickly that they are dismissed as a lingering flu or another seemingly ordinary virus.
By the time blood sugar levels are checked, many people with undiagnosed type 1 diabetes may have levels above 400 mg/dL or higher.
If you suspect that you or a loved one has type 1 diabetes, visit your primary care or urgent care immediately and ask for a urine test to measure ketones in addition to checking blood sugar levels and A1c.
Read more about ketones at diagnosis in: How to Avoid Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA).
Your A1c and blood sugar goals
Managing any type of diabetes is far more complicated than giving a person some insulin and telling them to keep their blood sugars within X and X mg/dL. If you’ve lived with diabetes for more than a few days, you probably already know this.
What is A1c?
“A1c, also known as hemoglobin A1c, HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin, or glycohemoglobin, is a blood test that measures your average blood sugar over the last 2 to 3 months,” explains Christel Oerum, MS, in Diabetes Strong’s guide to lowering your A1c.
Although the test reflects the glucose attached to hemoglobin (the protein in your red blood cells) over the past 2 to 3 months, the blood sugar levels in the 2 weeks leading up to your A1c test influence the results the most. Essentially, higher blood sugar levels during this period result in more glucose binding to hemoglobin.
Translating your A1c to a blood sugar level
Using this simple calculator from the ADA, you can translate your most recent A1c result to an “eAG,” or “estimated average glucose level.”
You can also use this translation when working to improve your A1c and achieve closer to normal blood sugar levels.
For instance, if you know an A1c of 6.0 percent equates to an average blood sugar level of 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L), then you can look at your current blood sugar results on your CGM and meter and pinpoint what time of day you’re frequently higher than that level.
A1c | eAG |
6 percent | 126 mg/dL |
7 percent | 154 mg/dL |
8 percent | 183 mg/dL |
9 percent | 212 mg/dL |
10 percent | 240 mg/dL |
11 percent | 269 mg/dL |
12 percent | 298 mg/dL |
Normal blood sugar levels in a person without diabetes can result in an A1c of 5.6 percent or lower.
Just a decade or two ago, it was rare for a person with type 1 diabetes to achieve an A1c result below 6.0 percent.
Thanks to new and improved insulin and better technology like CGMs, smarter insulin pumps, and hybrid closed-loop technology (which allows some insulin doses to be automatically delivered), more people with diabetes are now able to safely achieve A1c levels in the higher 5 percent range.
Why your A1c matters
In a nutshell: Your A1c is one of the clearest indicators of your risk for developing diabetes complications like neuropathy (nerve damage), retinopathy (a type of eye disease), nephropathy (kidney disease), cardiovascular disease, and severe infection in any part of your body that requires healing.
For instance, a small cut on your toe could become infected due to high blood sugars, struggle to heal, and become severe enough that the infection could require an amputation.
The general guidelines from the ADA recommend an A1c level of less than 7.0 percent to help prevent diabetes-related complications. Lowering your A1c closer to 6.0 percent may further reduce the risk of microvascular complications (those impacting the small blood vessels), such as those affecting the eyes (retinopathy), kidneys (nephropathy), and nerves (neuropathy).
Some people with diabetes aim for A1c levels in the 5s and lower — especially those who follow strict low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet and the Bernstein diet. However, this hasn’t been proven in research as especially necessary, nor is it reasonably achievable for the larger population of people with diabetes.
It’s also important to remember that your blood sugar levels and your A1c are just information that tells you whether your body needs changes in factors like insulin, other diabetes medications like metformin, your nutrition, or your physical activity.
If you don’t like the number you’re seeing on your glucose meter or your A1c results, use that number as motivation to make changes (with the support of your diabetes healthcare team) in how you safely manage your diabetes in order to get different results.
Determining the right A1c goal for you
Just because a blood sugar range of 70 to 130 mg/dL (3.9 to 7.2 mmol/L) is considered the healthiest for people with diabetes doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the appropriate goal range for you — especially if you have type 1 diabetes, or take insulin as a person with type 2 diabetes.
The reason this may not be the right goal for you is that extremely tight blood sugar management in people taking insulin can potentially lead to frequent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which can be dangerous.
Achieving extremely tight blood sugar management also generally requires a strict nutrition plan, very frequent blood sugar monitoring, precise medication management, and, often, years of experience studying your blood sugar levels.
Your A1c goals should be set in close consultation with your medical team, who can help balance the benefits and risks of different targets based on your health status, lifestyle, and preferences.
Older adults with cognitive or functional limitations or severe comorbidities (major additional health issues) may have a less-stringent A1c goal of less than 8 percent.
It is also worth noting that your A1c targets can change over time as your diabetes management evolves.
A1c goals should be individualized
“A1c goals should be individualized based on the individual capabilities, risks, and prior experiences,” explains Gary Scheiner, MS, CDCES, founder of Integrated Diabetes and author of Think Like a Pancreas.
“For example, we generally aim for very tight A1c levels during pregnancy and more conservative targets in young children and the elderly.”
Scheiner highlights important factors that could justify aiming for a higher A1c, like hypoglycemia unawareness, a condition in which a person with diabetes no longer feels the typical warning signs of low blood sugar.
Hypoglycemia unawareness can put you at significant risk for severe low blood sugars that have the potential to be life-threatening. To reduce that risk, you would aim for higher target blood sugar ranges.
“Someone with significant hypoglycemia unawareness and a history of severe lows should target higher blood glucose levels than someone who can detect and manage their lows more effectively,” adds Scheiner.
“And certainly, someone who has been running A1cs in double digits [like 10 percent or higher] for quite some time should not be targeting an A1c of 6 percent … better to set modest, realistic, achievable goals.”
Read about reducing your A1c in: How to Lower Your A1c and How to Lower A1c Naturally.
Your blood sugar isn’t just because of what you eat
It’s easy to believe that your blood sugar levels are impacted only by what you eat and how much you exercise, but people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who check their blood sugars frequently could tell you otherwise.
It’s especially important to keep this in mind when looking at your own blood sugars and your goals, because there are certain variables and challenges that impact blood sugar levels that you can’t always control.
For example:
- Menstrual cycles: often raise blood sugar and insulin needs
- Adrenaline rushes from competitive sports, heated arguments, roller coaster rides, and other intense situations: raise blood sugar and insulin needs
- The common cold and other illnesses: usually raise blood sugar and insulin needs
- Hormonal changes due to puberty and healthy growth in young adults: raise blood sugar and insulin needs
- An injury that increases overall inflammation levels: raises blood sugar and insulin needs
- Gluconeogenesis during anaerobic exercise: raises blood sugar and insulin needs
While you can’t necessarily prevent these factors that affect your blood sugar from occurring, you can work with your diabetes healthcare team to adjust your insulin, other diabetes medications, nutrition, and activity levels to help compensate for them when they do occur.
For example, when engaging in anaerobic exercise such as weightlifting, many people with type 1 diabetes find it necessary to take a small bolus of insulin prior to or during their workout because anaerobic exercise can actually raise blood sugar.
Final thoughts: Still frustrated with your blood sugar and A1c results?
Your blood sugars and your insulin or medication needs never stay in one place. If you gain weight or lose weight, your insulin and medication needs will change. If you become more active or less active, your needs will change. If you make drastic or even small changes to your nutrition, your needs will change.
Working with your diabetes healthcare team and diabetes coaches who can teach you how to make changes in your overall diabetes management plan is essential. Diabetes is a lifelong learning process.
Take a deep breath and be patient. If you don’t like what you’re seeing on your glucose meter, don’t get mad … get studying! Take good notes and work with your team to make changes to reach your goals.
Richard
I checked my blood sugar early in the morning and the results was 3.1 but when I checked it again in the evening 30 minutes after eating I got 3.4.What does that mean?
Christel Oerum
Probably nothing, but if you’re concerned about diabetes I highly recommend that you get the proper blood work done by your doctor. If you live with diabetes and your blood sugar tends to run that low (assuming you apply enough blood to the test strip) you might need to have your meds adjusted
:Jean
I am 71 years old and have been a type 2 diabetic for quite a few years. I know what my levels should be, I know what I should eat. I have been on insulin and now trying metformin and glimeperide. My levels are in the 60’s fasting in morning and in the 200’s a lot of times in the evening before bed. I have diabetic gastroparisis and am on warfarin for massive blood clots that went to my lungs. My biggest challenge is: I have a terrible craving for sweets that is uncontrollable. Do you have any suggestions as to what I could do to control the cravings?
Christel Oerum
When I have those cravings I do one of two things:
1) Choose to have something sweet and dose my insulin for it (not sure if you’re still on insulin)
2) Choose something sweet without the carbs, like tea or coffee with stevia, gum, sweetened chia pudding. sugar-free jello, etc.
Cravings often come if you completely cut something out. I have a huge sweet tooth so I incorporate sweet things, with and without carbs daily
Daniel Oconnell
Is 148 a great blood sugar level
Christel Oerum
That depends on so many factors that I can’t answer that
Dr. Munir Ahmed
Mam
I have checked my blood sugar in fasting. It is 103 mg/dl. Is this normal? Please reply
Christel Oerum
It’s only one data point, so that doesn’t really tell you enough to be worried. As you read in the article the “normal” fasting range is up to 100 mg/dl which is pretty much your reading. I’d suggest you see your doctor and get a proper diagnosis. If you’re concerned you can ask for an A1c test
noreen
I was on metformin for 9 years and had a fasting glucose of 106 – 119 with a1c of 5.6. I have been off of all medications for 6 months and my blood work shows I have a fasting glucose of 110 – 120 however, after meals and before bed it is 89-92. My a1c is usually around 5.5 or 5.6 this blood test it was 5.8. Is this pre-diabetes or is my fasting level just my fasting level – “dawn phenomenon”. I have a hard time dropping weight and keeping it off and larger waist.
Christel Oerum
If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes you’ll always have type 2 diabetes. You can revert your blood sugars to normal range, which it sounds like you’re very close to.
You can read more here: https://diabetesstrong.com/is-type-2-diabetes-reversible/
Marilyn Underwood
I was diagnosed type II diabetic 6 weeks ago and have been keeping my blood sugar between 90-130 with diet and exercise. I had surgery last week and now when test blood sugar fasting or before bed it’s at 250-280…should I be alarmed?
Christel Oerum
Congratulations on your great results. An increase in blood sugars when you’re under stress, such as post-surgery, is quite normal but I’d suggest you talk to your doctor. You’d want to ask your doctor if he/she would want you to manage your diabetes a little differently until you’re healed
Juliana Mcgrath
What should I do my sugar is 4.7 and I am type two diabetes
Christel Oerum
If you’re feeling the symptoms of low blood sugar I’d suggest you eat 5-15 grams of carbohydrates. You should also discuss these low blood sugar episodes with your doctor. If you’re on medication, he/she might want to alter the dose
Mandi
Hi, my mum was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic – the doctor told her that blood sugar was at 11.0. I assume this is mmol/L?
The doctor put her on Metformin and she has also been trying to eat better and has even lost a bit of weight. I have been testing her blood sugar with an AccuChec at-home glucometer. The first four times I tested her, once a week, her sugar was 109 mg dl, 105 mg dl and 93 mg dl – that was two or more hours after eating.
But today I checked it minutes after she ate – she had two slices of wholewheat toast and a drink. It was 139 mg dl. I am very concerned. Is it normal to go up so high minutes after eating?
Christel Oerum
It’s only one data point and it might be a faulty reading. Her blood sugars could also have been trending upward before the meal (for whatever reason, stress, sickness, dehydration, etc.) or something else. I don’t think 139 mg/dl is a dangerously high level and as long as it comes down, as it has before, your mom’s doctor most likely won’t be concerned. However, it always advisable to contact your doctor if you do have concerns. And I’d suggest writing down observations like this so you can bring them along to her next appointment
Mandi
Thank you. You are so kind to answer everyone’s concerns.
Christina
Hi, I’m a 43 year old fit, slender woman. I am 5’9 and weigh 130 lbs. Over the past year I have lost 10 lbs, am constantly fatigued and excessive urination (especially at night). My fasting blood glucose has been around 110 on several blood test taken at dr. office. I have a meter at home and have occasionally checked blood sugar after eating and it is often between 140-150 3 hrs. after eating a meal. My A1c was checked once and it was 5.2 so my doctor said there is nothing to worry about. My father and all of his siblings had diabetes 2 (none of them excessively overweight) and an uncle with type 1.5. I understand that my readings aren’t in the range for diabetes but is this kind of elevation seem normal?
Christel Oerum
With an A1c at that level, I don’t think most doctors would be worried. However, you can always seek out a second opinion. Unexpected weight loss and fatigue could also be a sign that there could be something else going on, so you might want to focus on that. And if your doctor is dismissive, seeing someone else might be the way forward
Joey Rodriguez
I’ve recently been going really low in the morning and through tour the day I’ve hit lowest of 46 and highest of 217. I am not diagnosed diabetic but my girlfriend is a type one. She has been informing me on thing I can do to help myself and have me one of her old meters. Which I’ve been using to test 3 times a day. At first we thought I may just have hypoglycemia but now that she has seen me hit a high she and I are worried as all hell.
Christel Oerum
Please go see a doctor immediately and get all the appropriate tests done. Self-diagnosis, especially when it comes to diabetes, is not a good idea. I hope you get answers soon
lady
Hello maam! I was panicking about the result of my HBA1C that is 11.30%. Then I started searching and reading about diabetes. I was to;d it is cetical now I am nerbous and cant get rest well. Some said I will undego dialysis. Is this true? I am only 26 with 2 small kids to raise in my own.
Christel Oerum
You only need dialysis if you have kidney failure, and not everyone develops that. However, kidney failure is a possible complication from having high blood sugars. All you can do is work on reducing your blood sugars so that they are closer to the normal range. You might need medication to assist you in this so please consult with your doctor immediately.