How To Stop Eating at Night

Eating at night is one of the negative habits people have recently engaged with; nighttime eating does more harm than good. Indigestions and short-term sleep are some downsides of eating late at night. Eating late at night might also be caused by a syndrome called NES ( nighttime eating syndrome).

The following are the causes of NES:

• Genes: NES can run in families and play a significant role in the tendency of an individual to generate the disorder
• Mental health: depression and anxiety might most likely be caused by NES
• Circadian rhythm disorder: The circadian rhythm is the natural cycle of physical and mental behavior changes that the body experiences. It controls tiredness, hunger, and anxiety.
• Skipping early meals: NES can sometimes result from skipping early meals, likely leading to binge eating at night.

11 PROVEN WAYS TO STOP EATING AT NIGHT

Eating at night can be a tough habit to break, especially if it has become a regular part of your routine. Late-night snacking can lead to weight gain, disrupted sleep, and even digestive issues. If you’re looking to put an end to your nighttime eating habits, there are a few things you can do to help yourself kick the habit. Here are some tips on how to stop eating at night:

1. Identify The Cause:

One of the major steps in stopping nighttime eating is to Identify the cause. The following are some of the causes for eating late at night: ignoring daytime meals, which mostly leads to hunger at night, which most of the time becomes a habit by default. Eating late at night might also be a result of eating disorders, which include binge eating disorder and night eating syndrome, as stated above.

Sometimes, boredom and stress lead to nighttime eating. However, in most cases, when people are emotionally stressed or bored at night, the only fun thing they find filling those spaces is food.

2. Prioritize Sleep:

Lack of sleep can affect hunger-regulating hormones, leading to eating more food more often, mostly at night. Cravings may Increase for food containing sugar and fat. Extreme intake of food containing fatty nutrients and high sucrose may yield an increased risk of developing health issues like diabetes, obesity, and cardiac disease (heart complications). Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep each night to help reduce your desire for late-night snacking.

3. Have a Meal Plan:

Meal planning helps prevent you from eating out on impulse and making poor food choices. Having a food plan helps you reduce anxiety about how much you are eating and keeps hunger at bay.

4. Eat regular meals throughout the day:

Eating balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day can help you feel satisfied and reduce your cravings for snacks later in the evening. Foods containing both proteins and fibers have nutritional value that helps curb hunger. It could help you feel satisfied throughout the day and prevent you from hunger and snacking through the night. Eating high-fiber and protein-rich meals has been proven to reduce hunger by 60% and subdue the urge to eat at night.

5. Brush After Nighttime Meal:

Most people enjoy the fresh feeling of a neat mouthwash after a nighttime meal and do not want to taint it with food. If you wash after a nighttime meal shortly before going to bed, you are most likely not to eat at night

6. Stay Hydrated:

Drinking plenty of water and keeping your body hydrated has proven to subdue hunger. Keeping the body hydrated comes with so many health benefits, which include weight loss, calorie reduction, aided digestion, aids quick satisfaction, and reduced nighttime eating. Try to drink a glass of water before reaching for a late-night snack.

7. Avoid Skipping Meals:

Always ensure that you try your best to stick to an adequate eating schedule. It has been studied that an adequate and proper eating plan tends to reduce BED (binge eating dysfunction) and unnecessary cravings. Try to eat your meals simultaneously every day and avoid eating within a few hours of bedtime.

8. De-Stress:

Most people find themselves using food as a means of suppressing stress, tension, and anxiety. Honestly, using excessive food to subdue hunger is only temporary. And it does more harm than good, especially in cases where it’s fast becoming a habit and leading to NES ( nighttime eating syndrome ). Some practical ways of reducing stress in place of binge eating include:

• Yoga
• Exercise
• Music
• And massage

9. Clean Out Unhealthy Snack In The Kitchen:

Keeping unhealthy snacks and junk in the kitchen makes binge eating at night a lot easier. Instead of stocking up the kitchen with unhealthy snacks, you should fill those loops with healthy food like fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. This reduces the option of unhealthy food and impulse nighttime snacking.

10. Seek Support:

In as much as the above-listed plans are vital, sometimes nighttime eating syndrome and binge eating disorder need strategic techniques to overcome, basically outlined by experienced professionals. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the proven therapies outlined by professionals to aid in the control of BED and modify eating patterns.

 11. Find alternative activities:

If you reach for snacks out of boredom, find other activities to occupy your time. Try taking a warm bath, reading a book, or practicing relaxation methods like meditation or deep breathing.

CONCLUSION

Breaking the nighttime snacking habit can take time, but with persistence and patience, you can do it. By identifying your triggers, eating regular meals, establishing a routine, finding alternative activities, removing temptations, drinking water, and getting enough sleep, you can end your late-night snacking habits and improve your overall health and well-being.

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Originally posted 2023-04-06 22:23:08.