Managing Diabetes
Breaking Down TIR: An Effective Metric for Improving Glucose Management
Published: Apr. 29, 2025
5 min read
People who live with diabetes spend a good part of each day trying to make sure their glucose levels stay where they are not too high and not too low. You might call it your target glucose range or sweet spot. For someone living with diabetes, you want to spend a greater portion of your day somewhere in the middle. The percentage of time you spend in that range that’s both not too high and not too low is known as your Time in Range (TIR). For someone living with diabetes, knowing TIR can help give you a more complete picture of your glucose and how to manage diabetes today, and in the future.
What is Time in Range?
Think of time in range as the number of hours in a day you spend in your sweet spot. For example, if your TIR percentage is 50%, that would mean that you are within your glucose target range for half the day or 12 hours. Time in Range is recognized as a standard of care according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Care.1 Time in range is a powerful supplement to A1C because it shows a more complete picture of changes in glucose levels. Since A1C is a three-month average, it doesn’t give insight into potentially dangerous high and low glucose variations. It allows healthcare providers to tailor treatment plans more effectively to meet individual needs. You should work with your healthcare provider to determine your personal high and low levels for your target range and what your percentage goal should be.
TIR is a crucial metric for assessing glucose levels and can only be measured by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems like Dexcom G7. It helps healthcare professionals and individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes to effectively evaluate whether glucose goals are being met. Maintaining glucose levels within the target range helps in achieving better overall glycemic control. This can reduce the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), which can help prevent both short-term and long-term complications.2-3
For those living with diabetes, the aim is to maintain glucose levels within the target range throughout the day. But how can you effectively monitor your Time in Range (TIR)? Think of a fingerstick and glucose meter result as taking a single snapshot of your glucose levels—it only captures where your glucose is at that specific moment. A continuous glucose monitor, like the Dexcom G7 CGM System, can give you your glucose reading in real-time, continuously and with no routine fingersticks* or scanning needed. Readings are sent to the Dexcom G7 app† on your compatible smart device up to every 5 minutes. With just a glance, you can see your glucose number and a directional arrow to quickly see where your glucose is trending and how fast. CGM systems that track TIR offer real-time feedback, enabling individuals to make immediate adjustments to their diet, exercise, and medication as needed.
Why is Time in Range Important?
The more people living with diabetes spend in their target range, the better and healthier they report feeling.4
Keeping a close eye on your time in range can help you set goals for your diabetes management, which can be especially useful in between clinic appointments. That’s where Dexcom Clarity comes in. The G7 app conveniently integrates a Clarity data summary (called the Clarity card) into the home screen of the G7 app for quick and easy insights. This convenient addition allows users to view their average glucose levels over the past 3, 7, 14, 30, or 90 days, their Glucose Management Indicator (GMI), and their Time in Range, all in one place.
Dexcom Clarity reporting can help you pinpoint which times of day you might be trending high or low. Glucose data can also be shared automatically and securely with your health care team via the Clarity Clinic Share code feature‡. This way, you, your doctor, and care team can seamlessly stay in sync with your management plan. Just ask your doctor or care team for their clinic code to start sharing your glucose data with your care team.
What Should My Time in Range Target Be?
Generally, most people use a standardized range of 70-180 mg/dL. However different target ranges may be used in certain situations, for example pregnant women typically use 63-140 mg/dL as their target range. These targets have been broken down into daily goals and according to the International Consensus on Time in Range, people living with diabetes should aim to spend5:
Suggested Target5 | Approximate time in hours |
At least 70% of the day between 70 - 180 md/dL | About 17 hours per day |
Less than 4% of the day below 70 mg/dL | Less than 1 hour per day |
Less than 25% of the day spent over 180 mg/dL | Less than 6 hours per day |
Less than 5% of the day above 250 mg/dL | Less than 1 hour per day |
Don’t worry if you are not meeting these goals yet, though. Aim for small improvements because every 5% increase in TIR matters4. Simply put, reducing time below 70 mg/dL and above 180 mg/dL can lead to a higher TIR. But be sure to discuss your goals with your healthcare professional.
How can Dexcom G7 CGM help?
Dexcom G7 has been proven to help lower A1C and increase time in range5-10. With no need for painful routine fingersticks* or manual sensor scans, Dexcom G7 can help alleviate some of the burdens of diabetes management so you can focus more on doing the things you love. It puts the power of real-time glucose data and insights into your hands so you can make better decisions in the moment.
Get started with Dexcom G7
Our telehealth option makes it easier than ever. If you’re interested in getting on Dexcom G7, the next step is to get a prescription. If you don’t have a doctor or prefer to talk to one in the comfort of your home, book a telehealth appointment now.
1 Ciemins E. Poster presented at: American Medical Group Association Annual Conference; April 9-12, 2024; Orlando, Florida. 2 American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. (2025). 3 Glycemic Goals and Hypoglycemia: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2025. Diabetes Care, 48(Supplement_1), S128–S145. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc25-S006 4 Dexcom, U.S. data on file, November 2020 5 Battelino T, Danne T, Bergenstal RM, et al. Clinical targets for continuous glucose monitoring data interpretation: recommendations from the International Consensus on Time in Range. Diabetes Care 2019;42:1593–1603 6 Beck, RW, et al. JAMA. 2017;317(4):371-378. 7 Beck RW, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167(6):365-374. 8 Martens T, et al. JAMA. 2021;325(22):2262-2272. 9 Laffel LM, et al. JAMA. 2020;323(23):2388-2396.10 Welsh JB, et al. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2024;18(1):143-7.
*If your glucose alerts and readings from the Dexcom G7 do not match symptoms or expectations, use a blood glucose meter to make diabetes treatment decisions.
† Compatible smart devices sold separately. To view a list of compatible devices, visit dexcom.com/g7-compatibility
‡ An internet connection is required for users to send their glucose data to Dexcom Clarity via a compatible smart device: dexcom.com/compatibility. Healthcare providers will only be able to view a user’s glucose data if the user elects to share it with them through Dexcom Clarity.
BRIEF SAFETY STATEMENT: Failure to use the Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring System and its components according to the instructions for use provided with your device and available at https://www.dexcom.com/safety-information and to properly consider all indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and cautions in those instructions for use may result in you missing a severe hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) or hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) occurrence and/or making a treatment decision that may result in injury. If your glucose alerts and readings from the Dexcom CGM do not match symptoms, use a blood glucose meter to make diabetes treatment decisions. Seek medical advice and attention when appropriate, including for any medical emergency.