--- title: "What spikes blood sugar: the CDC's list, foods and signs" description: "Coffee, a short night, skipped breakfast, sunburn: the CDC's 10 surprising blood sugar triggers, the carbs that raise it fastest, and when it's urgent." canonical: https://glucosebench.com/blood-sugar-spikes alternate_html: https://glucosebench.com/blood-sugar-spikes language: en-US last_updated: 2026-09-27 type: guia --- # Blood sugar spikes: the everyday triggers, the foods, and how you'd know 1. [Home](https://glucosebench.com/) 2. [Blood sugar basics](https://glucosebench.com/blood-sugar) 3. Blood sugar spikes: the everyday triggers, the foods, and how you'd know Food is the first suspect when blood sugar jumps. The CDC's list of triggers also includes a cup of unsweetened coffee, a bad night's sleep and a sunburn. By **GlucoseBench editorial team**Updated September 27, 2026 ![Blood sugar spikes: the everyday triggers, the foods, and how you'd know](https://glucosebench.com/img/guia-blood-sugar-spikes-640.webp) Short answer None of the government pages we read, the CDC's included, puts a number on the word "spike." Food is the everyday driver: "Carbohydrates in the food you eat raise your blood sugar levels," the CDC says, and simple carbs such as table sugar, honey, fruit juice and syrup "increase your blood sugar quickly," while whole grains and beans raise it more slowly. The CDC also lists surprising triggers: stress from sunburn pain, coffee even without sweetener, one night of too little sleep, skipping breakfast, dehydration, some nasal sprays, gum disease and the early-morning hormone surge called the dawn phenomenon. None of these pages describes a feeling specific to a spike; the signs MedlinePlus gives for high blood sugar are thirst, feeling tired or weak, headaches, urinating often and blurred vision, and a meter is how you find out the number. ## The CDC's 10 surprising triggers The CDC wrote this list for people who have managed diabetes for a while and already know the big four: food, activity, stress and illness. Trigger What the CDC says Sunburn "the pain causes stress, and stress increases blood sugar levels" Artificial sweeteners "some studies show they can raise blood sugar" Coffee "even without sweetener. Some people's blood sugar is extra-sensitive to caffeine" Losing sleep "even just one night of too little sleep can make your body use insulin less efficiently" Skipping breakfast "going without that morning meal can increase blood sugar after both lunch and dinner" Time of day "blood sugar can be harder to control the later it gets" Dawn phenomenon "hormones tend to surge early in the morning, and for people with diabetes blood sugar can spike" Dehydration "less water in your body means that your blood sugar is more concentrated" Nose spray "some contain chemicals that trigger your liver to make more blood sugar" Gum disease "it's both a blood sugar spiker and a complication of diabetes" Source: CDC, "10 Surprising Things That Can Spike Your Blood Sugar" (published May 15, 2024; updated and reviewed September 11, 2026), read on September 27, 2026. The CDC adds: "Individual responses to each of these triggers may vary." Sweeteners and mornings each have their own page on this site. ## Foods that raise blood sugar fastest "Carbohydrates in the food you eat raise your blood sugar levels," says the CDC, and how fast depends on the food and what comes with it. The CDC's carb counting page adds: "Sugars and starches raise your blood sugar, but fiber doesn't." Simple carbs are the quick ones. The CDC names table sugar, honey, fruit juice and syrup, and the soda, cookies, cakes and candies built on them; these "increase your blood sugar quickly." Refined grains, which have had the fiber processed out, belong in the same group: white bread, white rice, white pasta, many cereals and pastries. Complex carbs such as potatoes, peas, corn, beans, lentils and whole grains "increase your blood sugar more slowly." So yes, honey counts as a fast sugar by the CDC's account, and old-fashioned or steel-cut oats are what it suggests "instead of sugary cereals." Form matters too. "Drinking fruit juice raises blood sugar faster than eating whole fruit," the CDC says, and it takes about 3 oranges to make 1 cup of juice. Eating carbs alongside protein, fat or fiber "slows down how quickly your blood sugar rises." For what to put on the plate instead, see our page on foods that lower blood sugar. ## Ways to keep the rise smaller 1. ### Pair carbs with protein Add meat, a small handful of nuts or low-fat dairy to a meal or snack with carbs. The CDC says this helps you "stay fuller for longer and avoid blood sugar spikes." 2. ### Pick the slower carbs Whole fruit over juice, whole grains over refined ones, beans and lentils over sweets. Portions still count: one carb serving is about 15 grams, the CDC says, which is about 1/4 cup of granola. 3. ### Keep meals regular The CDC's carb counting page suggests about the same amount of carbs at each meal, unless you use an insulin pump or multiple daily injections. Skipping breakfast is on its trigger list, and its advice for night-shift workers is to avoid large meals in the middle of the night "to reduce the chance of a spike in your blood sugar." 4. ### Drink water and sleep Dehydration concentrates blood sugar and one short night makes insulin work less efficiently, both on the CDC's list. The NIDDK suggests about 7 to 8 hours a night for most adults. 5. ### Test what's new "If an activity or food is new, check your blood sugar before and after to see how you respond," the CDC says. Your own numbers beat any general list. ## How a high feels, and when it can't wait MedlinePlus lists the signs of high blood sugar as feeling thirsty, feeling tired or weak, headaches, urinating often and blurred vision. It also says that if you don't have diabetes and have these symptoms, you should see your provider to find out the cause. With diabetes, the CDC's usual after-meal target is below 180 mg/dL, one to two hours after eating; our page on blood sugar after eating explains that number. Some highs are an emergency, for anyone, diagnosed or not. The CDC says to go to the emergency room or call 911 right away if your blood sugar stays at 300 mg/dL or above, your breath smells fruity, you're vomiting and can't keep food or drinks down, you're having trouble breathing, or you have multiple signs and symptoms of DKA. Our high blood sugar page covers ketones and the CDC's 250 mg/dL check. ## Caffeine in a bottle sold for blood sugar ### "No Stimulants," says the page GlycoFortin and Glycovit are liquid drops sold for blood sugar, and both pages say "No Stimulants." Their labels, and Glycotide's, which carries the same formula, list guarana and green tea inside a 200 mg blend with no split. ### What the NIH says about those two NCCIH, part of the NIH, says green tea "does contain caffeine" and that guarana "contains caffeine." Writing about energy drinks, it notes there's no requirement to declare the amount of caffeine on the label, whether they're sold as beverages or as dietary supplements. ### Why it matters here Coffee is on the CDC's trigger list because "some people's blood sugar is extra-sensitive to caffeine." The labels don't say how much caffeine the drops deliver. If your blood sugar reacts to coffee, that's worth knowing before you buy. ### The "favorite foods" line GlycoFortin's page says "Imagine eating your favorite foods while maintaining blood sugar at optimum levels." The CDC says carbs raise blood sugar, and NCCIH says "We don't have reliable evidence that any herbal supplements can help to control diabetes or its complications." On diabetes medication, talk to your doctor before adding any supplement. ## Frequently asked questions **What causes blood sugar spikes?** Carbohydrates in food raise blood sugar, sugars and refined grains faster than whole grains and beans, per the CDC. The CDC's list of less obvious triggers adds sunburn, artificial sweeteners, coffee, lost sleep, skipped breakfast, later hours of the day, the dawn phenomenon, dehydration, some nasal sprays and gum disease. **What does a blood sugar spike feel like?** The government pages we read don't describe a feeling specific to a spike. For high blood sugar in general, MedlinePlus lists thirst, feeling tired or weak, headaches, urinating often and blurred vision. A meter or a lab test is how you find out your number. **What foods spike blood sugar the most?** Simple carbs, per the CDC: table sugar, honey, fruit juice, syrup, and foods made with them, such as soda, cookies, cakes and candy. Refined grains like white bread, white rice and white pasta also raise blood sugar faster than whole grains. **Does coffee spike blood sugar?** It can for some people, even without sweetener. The CDC lists coffee among its surprising triggers because "some people's blood sugar is extra-sensitive to caffeine." Check before and after to see how you respond. **How can I prevent blood sugar spikes?** The CDC's advice: add protein to carb meals, choose whole fruit and whole grains, keep carbs about the same at each meal, don't skip breakfast and drink water. If you have diabetes, your meal plan and medicines come from your care team. **Can you get blood sugar spikes without diabetes?** The CDC's trigger list is written for people with diabetes, and the pages we read give no spike number for people without it. MedlinePlus says high blood sugar is less common without diabetes and can come from pancreas or adrenal problems, certain medicines or severe illness; if you have symptoms, see your provider. ## Related pages Blood sugar basics ### [Blood sugar after eating: the target with diabetes, and what the 2-hour lab test measures](https://glucosebench.com/blood-sugar-after-eating) If you have diabetes, the usual after-meal target is below 180 mg/dL: the CDC says one to two hours after a meal, and the NIH's diabetes institute (NIDDK) says about 2… Read more Blood sugar basics ### [Is there a food that lowers blood sugar? What the CDC and NIH point to instead](https://glucosebench.com/foods-that-lower-blood-sugar) No food lowers blood sugar on its own. Read more Blood sugar basics ### [Artificial sweeteners and blood sugar: the FDA and the CDC, side by side](https://glucosebench.com/artificial-sweeteners-and-blood-sugar) Generally not, according to the FDA, which says sweeteners "generally will not raise blood sugar levels." Sucralose, the sweetener sold as Splenda, is one of six the FDA… Read more Blood sugar basics ### [Why your blood sugar is high in the morning, and how to find your own pattern](https://glucosebench.com/morning-blood-sugar) The CDC calls it the dawn phenomenon: "hormones tend to surge early in the morning, and for people with diabetes blood sugar can spike." Sleep counts too: the CDC says… Read more Updated September 27, 2026. 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