https://integrateddiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/diabetes-in-the-news.pnghttps://integrateddiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/article-tavia.png
My In-Depth SugarPixel Review
In the beginning, the alerts woke me up overnight whenever needed.
After a while, my brain decided to tune the alerts out while I was asleep.
My Dexcom G6 app: Beep beep beep!
Me: Zzzzzzzz….
Then I started using a smartwatch that beeps and vibrates for lows.
I was able to wake up again. Hooray!
Then I started to even sleep through those alerts at night.
My Dexcom G6 app: Beep beep beep!
My smartwatch with alerts set for above and below target glucose levels: Buzz buzz buzz!!!!
Me: Zzzzzz….
Then, when my son was diagnosed, my brain (THANKFULLY) started to respond to those alerts at night again.
Until my brain started tuning them out again.
My son’s Dexcom G6 app and my cell phone’s Dexcom Follow app: Beep beep beep!!!2
My smartwatch: Buzz buzz buzz!!!
My son and I: Zzzzzzzzz……
I added a great app that can text and call me about low glucose levels for my son. It works great. It works great AS LONG AS I turn the volume up full blast on my cell phone every single night and then remember to turn it down during the daytime. And then remember to turn it up again before bed every night.
If I forget to turn it up? Then it goes like this:
My son’s Dexcom G6 app and my cell phone’s Dexcom Follow app: Beep beep beep!!!2
My smartwatch: Buzz buzz buzz!!!
My cell phone quietly texting and calling me for my son’s above or below target glucoses: Beep, ding, buzz, ring ring ring!
My son and I: Zzzzzzzzz……
Thankfully none of our slept-through-alerts have been severe hyper or hypoglycemia that put either of our lives at risk. We needed a new plan!
We learned about SugarPixel and IDS decided we should try it out!
After using SugarPixel the world’s first dedicated blood glucose pixel clock of BG readings and alerts, I can give you an honest review and overview of the system.
SugarPixel Overview: A secondary glucose display and alert system for following Dexcom G6 CGM or Nightscout that provides random tone audio alerts and vibration alerts to help reduce the likelihood you will sleep through a glucose alert.
SugarPixel website: https://customtypeone.com/
Cost: $99
Pros: VERY LOUD, can set alerts for specific times of day, can show glucose for 1 to 2 individuals, color change for glucose levels is helpful, includes direction of change indicator on the display, and includes a small vibration puck to place on your bed or nightstand. Customer service provides quick turnaround responses to e-mails. Good instructions are provided in their online instruction guide. Customizable colors, display options, and alerts. NEW since September 2022 is the Sugar Pixel app to improve the entire set up and settings adjustments process!! The app is available on Android and iPhone.
Cons: Can be somewhat finicky to set up for the first time, and can have intermittent issues staying connected to your home Wi-Fi.
My teenager with T1D can sleep through just about anything. To wake him, I must physically move him, say his name loudly, and/or provide a good sternal rub (Google search that one!). With SugarPixel on the nightstand in my son’s room down the hall from me, even if it doesn’t always wake up my sleeping teenage son, it absolutely wakes up his younger brother and it wakes me up. It does even wake up my teen with T1D most of the time.
Now it goes a little like this in our home at night:
Cell phone and watch alerts? WHO KNOWS!?!?!?
Sugar Pixel alerts? We are AWAKE and taking care of dia-business and back to sleep quickly. I, for one, and very glad to be sleeping safer with the help of SugarPixel.
Back to November 2022 Newsletter
16 Responses
System been down for a week now
Are u going to be fixing it soon ???
we do not administrate the sugar pixel in any way please contact manufacturer
Does it work with Stelo by Dexcom
You’ll want to check the sugar pixel website for updates on compatibility.
Does it work with Libre 3 and 3 plus? Can you set it to alarm you for the notifications you want to have only? Will it interfere with the alarm on the app running at the same time? Can you turn down the volume of the alarm if you want?
Sorry for multiple questions. Just going to be expensive for us and I want to be sure it will work the way we hope if we get one. Our current app on the phone struggles with bluetooth connection and we are looking for backup.
Hi Sheila,
i recommend reaching out to SugarPixel directly for the most up to date information on their product’s capabilities.
Hello,
Does SugarPixel work with Dexcom’s G7?
Yes it does
Do you have to have a cell signal or does this just work through Bluetooth? I’m needing a solution for summer camp for my son. There is no cell signal anywhere at the camp.
It does require app connection, so wifi or cellular connection from the app of the user to the network that the sugarpixel device is on. camps are not known for their vast wifi coverage either.
You may want to look into options designed for the vision or hearing impaired communities. there are devices that can be connected to lights, amplifier, or vibration pads that may work well without these wireless types of connections.
I read that it has Nightscout capabilities and there was something about setting up a bridge so that it would be a backup data source. If you can set up Nightscout it will probably run off Bluetooth only. I hope I understood it correctly. I don’t have one yet.
it is not so much that the clock has nightscout, as that you can run the clock and nightscout simultaneously, so that data is going to both sources. 🙂
Can this be used with the Libre 2 sensor?
It does now 🙂
Hi Alicia,
It’s Lisa Haaf. My son, Sam Haaf, and I were the fortunate beneficiaries of your guidance when we lived in Lancaster, PA (about 8-10+ years ago). By any chance, have you personally used the Sugar Pixel? Sam (now 17) doesn’t wake up to his alarms. Any info you can pass along?
Thanks!!
Lisa
HI Lisa,
I don’t use it but Jenny does, as do Tavia and her family, I know Tavia in particular really likes her for her teenage son. I also recommend looking into devices intended for the visually and hearing impaired communities to assist young adults who have trouble responding to alerts. (When we are raised with type 1 we become able to sleep through a train wreck due to years of beeps and pokes and juice boxes at all hours) devices that amplify, turn on lights, or vibrate pillows can all be used to notify us of alerts.