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Understanding the Causes of Nighttime Hunger
There are many reasons why people experience hunger—and even overeat—at night. Some are based on physical habits while others are based on mental and even emotional habits. Common reasons why people feel nighttime hunger include:- Poor Nutrition – Eating a well-balanced diet helps keep you feeling satisfied and energized throughout the day. If you are not getting the right nutrients in your diet, then you may find yourself craving certain foods late at night.
- Fluctuating Blood Sugar Levels – A balanced diet can also help you maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. Eating simple carbohydrates can cause your blood sugar to rapidly rise and drop, which can lead to light-headedness, shakiness, anxiety, and nighttime hunger.
- Changing Meal and Snack Times – You should aim to eat your meals and snacks around the same time each day. If you are constantly changing up your meal and snack times, your blood sugar levels can fluctuate throughout the day, which can make you feel hungrier at bedtime.
- Lack of Sleep – Getting a good night’s rest is another important element of avoiding nighttime hunger. A lack of sleep can cause an imbalance of ghrelin and leptin, two hormones that regulate appetite. This can make you feel hungry at strange times, including when you usually go to sleep.
- Stress – If you are feeling stressed out, your body may respond in a variety of ways. You may start feeling hungry at night or you may find that you turn to food to help soothe yourself after a long and stressful day.
Preventing Nighttime Hunger
Once you have determined the cause or causes of your nighttime hunger issues, you can focus on developing healthy habits to fight back. Some of the options that may help you prevent nighttime hunger include:- Drinking herbal tea before bed. Herbal tea is associated with a variety of health properties and benefits, and appetite regulation is one of them. Drink a cup of herbal tea before bed to help prevent those nighttime cravings by regulating the hormones that affect your appetite.
- Walk away.If you think your hunger is due to boredom, then consider taking a walk or doing another light form of physical activity to keep your mind occupied until you are ready to go to sleep. Bring a friend with you if you are walking outside and be sure to wear reflective clothing or use a flashlight if you are out after dark.
- Reduce stress at night. Whether you are feeling hungry due to stress or eat at night to cope with the stress, you can help yourself by finding ways to reduce stress at night. Try deep breathing exercises or other meditation practices to help clear your mind and let you relax before going to bed. Peaceful music or white noise can help if you have a hard time falling asleep.
- Don’t stay up late. Getting a good night’s rest can help you fight nighttime cravings whether they are caused by stress, a lack of sleep, or both! It can be tempting to stay up late to catch up on news, TV, and other forms of entertainment that you might have missed throughout the day, but it is important to set a time to turn off your devices, relax, and focus on getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
- Eat a healthy dinner. Some people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but every meal is crucial when you want to maintain a balanced diet! Dinner is especially important as it is the last meal you eat before going to bed, so it can have a significant impact on how hungry you feel throughout the night. Plan your meals ahead so you can make sure your dinner will include plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and a lean protein so you can feel satisfied until morning.
- Eat veggies only for snack. Do you find yourself feeling hungry in between meals? If so, vegetables make for super healthy and easy-to-eat snacks that can help you stay satisfied throughout the day while also letting you get even more nutrients. Incorporating more vegetables into your diet can help you avoid those nighttime cravings.
Visiting WildBerryMD
If you are looking for more help with your nighttime hunger, you can visit WildBerryMD. We specialize in medical weight loss in Tucson, and we offer a variety of treatments, services, and products that can help you regulate your appetite and achieve your goals. These include:- Protein Shakes and Bars – Replace unhealthy snacks with our protein shakes and bars. These will help you feel satisfied and give you more energy during the day, which can help you avoid those nighttime feelings of hunger.
- Hormone Assessments – Appetite issues can be the result of hormonal imbalances. We can guide you through a hormone assessment to determine if hormones are behind your appetite issues. From here, we can talk to you about natural hormone therapy and other options to help with appetite regulation.
- Thyroid Assessments – Hypothyroidism and other thyroid issues can cause sleep problems as well as hunger at night. Our medical weight loss team can perform a thyroid assessment to see if this could be affecting your weight and other health issues.
- Fat Burn/B12 Injections – If you would like a boost in your weight loss efforts, our fat burn/B12 injections may be a good choice. These shots help increase energy levels and promote fat loss, making it easier to stick to healthy eating habits and avoid overindulging at night.
- Medical Supplements for Sleep and Appetite – We also offer a variety of medical supplements in our Health, Wellness, and Weight Loss Shop. Here, you can find supplements that can help regulate your appetite so you can stick to a healthy eating plan. We also offer supplements to help regulate your sleep patterns, which can help you feel better both physically and mentally.
- Appetite Suppressants – If your appetite makes it hard to avoid eating late at night, our prescription appetite suppressants might be a good option. These can help you control your cravings at all times of day, including those pesky nighttime ones, so you can boost your weight loss efforts.