hungry at night just before bed

[andy5139]

     at night just before i go to sleep i feel i am very hungry and need to snack on something . i  increased my protein , but just feel the need to eat . how can i break this habit ? its very bad i know but i have been struggling with this for years. help

[mahmoudhany · Accepted solution]

Hello Andy,
No need to feel bad about having night time cravings, we are all guilty of it at some point, You should be proud of yourself for wanting to take effective actions. I should point out that you should try to have well balanced meals that are rich in fiber all day long so that you don't get very hungry at night, or at least decrease the chances, however If you are still having some cravings, then I might suggest some stuff.
I try lots of tricks to minimize my cravings and they had worked for me, I suggest that you try to curb your cravings by drinking water or an herbal drink then head to bed, If i'm not feeling that this would be enough for me, I usually go for a healthy snack, like a handful of peanuts or pumpkin seeds, however, I usually try to avoid any snacking by reminding myself of how delicious my breakfast would be next day and how I should leave some "space" for it.
I hope that this had helped you, please let me know how it went.

[WyldHaggis]

Is it 'head hunger/cravings' (since you mention the 'need' to eat, which for me doesn't necessarily equal hunger), or is it genuine hunger?

If it's cravings, what I do is brush my teeth just before. Bonus points for tooth paste that smells and tastes as if I had just been at the dentist's (I have some Oral-B one that does the job well). Not sure if it can work for you?

[Daves_Not_Here]

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@andy5139wrote:

     at night just before i go to sleep i feel i am very hungry and need to snack on something . i  increased my protein , but just feel the need to eat . how can i break this habit ? its very bad i know but i have been struggling with this for years. help

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@andy5139 - I struggle with the same thing.  Agreeing with @mahmoudhany - drinking water helps.  Also, I find that fat is more effective than protein for stifling cravings -- I find that if I have half an avocado and some almonds about 2 hours before bedtime, it helps.

Also, the cravings can connected with staying up too late and being fatigued.  If you are not waking up fully rested, maybe retire earlier before the cravings really hit.

Last thought.  For me, nighttime snacking is more about an ingrained habit than actual hunger.  There is lots written about how to break bad habits, including substituting a better habit.  In my case, that's drinking a cup of broth.

[Ennay]

The dangers of bedtime eating are greatly overstated.  The problem is most people eat poorly at night.

If increasing your intake during the day doesnt help, then just plan a healthy bed time snack.  

I consistantly sleep better with a small snack before bed and in the long run more sleep is more important than if I stop eating at 7 vs 10*.  Last night was a half a whole grain bagel with light cream cheese and a little smoked salmon.  Some nights it is just a small bowl of greek yogurt and fruit.  If you are anti-carb then cheese and almonds. 

[EdithLovely]

Drink water. I know it means trips to the bathroom throughout the night, but your body will remember that you're just giving it water and eventually the "hunger" will subside. You got this! 🙂