Do you like to eat at night? Do you get nighttime hunger pangs? All of us have been there. When we know we should be sleeping, we stand in the warm warmth of the refrigerator, looking through its contents for leftover apple pie.
That’s great if you’re looking for a banana or an ounce of walnuts, but it’s quite another thing if you often crack open a bag of chips at ten o’clock at night. The quality of the meal is more of a problem than the timing. Processed foods have the opposite effect from unprocessed meals in terms of nourishing and promoting stability in terms of mood, sleep cycle, energy, and appetite.
It’s not a good idea to start eating at night since you won’t have enough time to properly digest your food before bed. Nighttime eating can cause excessive junk food munching and be the cause of restless sleep.
Night Eating Syndrome
If the majority or all of the following statements apply to you, you should give your routine more serious thought.
- Do you overeat in the evening, especially after dinner?
- Do you eat at night despite not being hungry?
- Do you frequently get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and then eat?
- And do you have no appetite in the morning?
- Do you frequently feel depressed, anxious, stressed, or unhappy, and do these feelings seem to get worse at night?
Does this describe your daily routine?
Your problem could not be a lack of self-control or willpower to refrain from eating the things you enjoy (or, at the very least, have grown accustomed to). It’s possible that you have night eating syndrome, a more specific (and curable) condition.
Night eating syndrome, sometimes known as “midnight hunger,” is largely recognized as a continuing, recurring pattern of bingeing or overeating in the late hours of the night.
Nighttime eating syndrome and binge eating are frequently distinguished by scientists. Even though both may be brought on by the same circumstances, night eaters prefer to nibble, consuming little more than 400 calories at a time. Between 2,000 and 3,000 calories may be consumed in one sitting by binge eaters, but they often stop after that.
The Effect of Snacking at Night
You need to be aware of what is taking place within your body in order to fully comprehend the effects of those late-night nibbles.
Your metabolism helps turn the food you eat into energy when you eat. Calories and oxygen are mixed in this intricate chemical process to provide the energy your body requires to function. Food is consumed, chemical reactions take place, and energy is produced.
When we’re most active, which is often throughout the day, our metabolism is running at maximum capacity. Additionally, our metabolism occasionally needs a break, just like our thoughts do. We typically experience this rest time as we wind down for bed or when we are otherwise less active.
Therefore, if we eat right before bed (cue those late-night nibbles), our bodies lack the necessary energy to properly digest the meal. In general, eating at this time increases the likelihood that calories will be stored as fat rather than used for energy. That’s bad news if you have a sweet craving since your body won’t be able to process sugar and salty and carbohydrate foods as efficiently.
How to Stop Overeating at Night
There are several causes of the propensity to eat unhealthy snacks late at night. Follow these suggestions to reduce your evening binges.
Identify the cause
Some people consume the majority of their meals in the late evening or at night. You need to determine the root of the issue if you want to change this behavior.
It is possible that excessive daytime food restriction, which causes nighttime hunger, is the cause of nighttime eating. It could also be brought on by boredom or habit. People frequently eat even when they are not hungry because they have a tendency to use food to numb negative feelings like grief, anger, or irritation.
Eat regular meals
Avoiding missing meals is one of the easiest methods to prevent late-night snacking. Meal skipping increases the impulse to eat more later on and increases the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Everyday, try to have three balanced meals and a snack in the afternoon. You’ll feel less hungry at night thanks to this. If you start eating less at night, you’ll probably feel more peckish throughout the day.
When your last meal or snack was consumed many hours before to awakening, it might be difficult to eat breakfast. You can wake up feeling hungry and prepared to eat breakfast by cutting back on your consumption at night.
Eat breakfast
The key to preventing evening food cravings is probably to eat breakfast. A nutritious breakfast may keep you satisfied throughout the night and sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Your ability to feel satisfied throughout the day can be improved by shifting your calorie intake toward the morning. You won’t have as much leeway to indulge after supper if the majority of your daily calories are taken at breakfast and lunch.
If in doubt, wait it out
Wait 20 minutes before indulging any cravings. Since your body doesn’t truly require what you’re seeking, it’s likely that the desire will pass within that time.
Prepare healthy nighttime snacks
You probably won’t stop binge eating at night if it’s a habit. By substituting healthier evening snacks for harmful ones, you can make the transition easier.
Fruits and vegetables should be cut up and stored in Tupperware containers in the refrigerator. When the want to eat after supper strikes, they will be convenient to grab in this manner.
The grocery sells pre-sliced fruit and vegetables. If you tend to be unorganized and might forget to make your own bedtime snacks, this can be a nice solution for you.
Set yourself up for sleep
The likelihood of binge eating at night rises when you stay up late during the hours when you need to be sleeping. And over the past few years, multiple studies have linked a lack of quality sleep to weight growth.
Set a cutoff time
You may have supper at 6 o’clock, so you make sure to finish by the deadline of 7 o’clock. It may be simpler to adhere to a strict rule like “no food after 7 p.m.” than a more ambiguous directive like “no snacking before bed.” This is because it is so rigorous.
Depending on your schedule, your cutoff time could be earlier or later, but it’s still useful to have one in mind.
Distract yourself
What mood do you have at night? Anxious? Bored? Restless? It is well recognized that unpleasant feelings might tempt us to eat even when we are not actually hungry in order to temporarily distract ourselves. The best method to overcome this is to become aware of your emotional triggers and learn how to deal with them. What are you experiencing at the moment when you first have a craving? Is there a better course of action you could take?
You may take a bath, read a book, or phone a friend instead of reaching for whatever is around to eat.
Alternately, consider dropping by the gym for some light activity to release endorphins.
It will be simpler than ever to resist unneeded snacking if you engage in activities other than eating to keep you amused. Try out different activities to find what works and have fun while doing it.
Stay busy
Find a thoughtful, enjoyable hobby that doesn’t entail eating. After supper, finish off the cleanup and leave the kitchen. Play a board game with your family. Alternately, if you’re alone, read a book. Participate in a soothing hobby.
Planting oneself in front of the TV is something you should usually avoid doing. Overeating has been linked to watching television.
Look at what’s around you
Cuing is one cause of overeating that is frequently overlooked. Addictive processed foods may cause cravings just by being available, and those urges can accumulate throughout the day and result in bingeing in the evening if they are out on display at your house or place of employment.
Remove your trigger foods
Right, out of sight, out of mind? Avoid purchasing specific meals if you tend to eat them in the evening. Limit your consumption of what you already have at home, and when you’ve completed it, make sure not to buy anything new. You can’t consume something if it’s not there.
Restock your refrigerator with wholesome goods. You should keep a variety of wholesome and satiating little snack alternatives available.
De-stress
Two of the most frequent causes of people eating when they are not hungry are anxiety and stress. However, it’s not a good idea to use food to control your emotions.
If you find yourself eating when you’re nervous or stressed, try to find another way to decompress and unwind.
You could find breathing exercises, meditation, hot baths, yoga, light exercise, or stretching to be helpful relaxation approaches.
Add more fun into your life
This is excellent counsel, right? Being advised to incorporate more joy into your regular activities is a major win.
The truth is that eating in the evening may become a preferred way to unwind and unwind; knowing that there is a pint of ice cream waiting for you in the freezer might get you through a particularly difficult day. It could even end up being the highlight of your day or your main source of happiness, amusement, and enjoyment. At this point, it could start to cause issues.
What in your life is missing, you could ask?
Do you yearn for joy?
Self-nurturing? Comfort? It might not actually be a Cherry Garcia. Add more of what you actually need, and you could subsequently notice that you’re less inclined to satisfy that need with food.
Brush your teeth
It’s surprisingly easy to signal to your body and mind that you’re done for the evening and ready for bed by quickly cleaning your teeth. The flavor of the food you’re inclined to eat will suffer due to the minty flavor. Additionally, who wants to clean their teeth twice in one evening?
Listen to your body
Try to identify the bodily consequences as well as emotional eating tendencies when searching for them. Do you have acid reflux after eating too soon before bed? Did eating the entire box of cookies leave you stuffed and guilty the next morning, causing you to miss breakfast?
Next time you have a late-night craving, go back to those unpleasant side effects.
Bottom Line
Overeating, obesity, and ill health have all been connected to eating at night. Try the suggestions above to quit eating at night if that is a problem for you.
Be mindful that transformation requires both patience and awareness. You’re already aware of the problem, so you’re well on your way to finding a solution.