Tracking your blood sugar is one of the most important daily habits if you want to lower your A1C. But simply pricking your finger isn’t enough. If you’re checking at the wrong times, your readings might not accurately reflect your blood sugar patterns — and your A1C could stay stubbornly high. So when exactly is the best time to check your blood sugar to align with your A1C goals?
Your A1C test measures your average blood sugar over the past 2–3 months. It reflects how much glucose has attached to your red blood cells. Since red blood cells live about 90 days, your A1C is a long-term view — unlike your daily readings, which show just a snapshot in time.
To get a picture that aligns well with your A1C and helps you manage your glucose better, focus on these four key times:
This is your blood sugar before eating anything in the morning. It shows how your body handles glucose overnight. If your fasting numbers are consistently high, it’s a major contributor to elevated A1C.
Checking before meals can help you understand your baseline and adjust portion sizes or carbs based on what you plan to eat.
This shows how your body responds to food. If you spike above 180 mg/dL after meals, it can increase your A1C. You want to return to 140 or lower within 2 hours.
A bedtime reading helps assess how stable your blood sugar is overnight. If it’s too low or too high, you may need to adjust your dinner or snacks.
A1C is about averages. One reading doesn’t make or break your results. What matters is your trend — are your fasting levels improving? Are your post-meal spikes going down?
It’s easy to feel discouraged if your blood sugar spikes after a meal or one morning reading is high. But your A1C isn’t based on a single test. Focus on improving habits and being consistent. A little progress every week makes a big difference over 2–3 months.
The best time to check your blood sugar depends on your goals — but for lowering A1C, fasting and post-meal readings are key. These times give you insight into how your body is processing food and handling insulin. By tracking smartly and consistently, you’ll get better control of your numbers and bring your A1C down safely over time.