Can't Sleep so I get up and eat

zebasschick

benchstep wrote: »

The last 2 months I am having a problem. I wake up 3 or 4 times a night. By the 3 or 4th time I am going down to the kitchen and eating something and then I am over my calories. Anyone have a similar problem?

can you cut 250 calories out of your regular daily meals and and use those calories for your afterhours eating?

kshama2001

Ryantulowitzkido wrote: »

How to Stop Binge Eating at Night
Nighttime overeating is a very common problem, and it's often the last one people solve as they are recovering from binge eating, but it doesn't have to be as difficult as it feels. The most important thing to do first is to identify the cause. Which of the following might apply to you?

• Over-restricting during the day: More often than not, I find people who struggle with binge eating at night tend to have had too little to eat during the day. Perhaps they are trying to stick to a diet that is too rigid, or which causes them to lose weight too quickly. When that's the case, the brain often fires the "be less discriminating with food and feast" at nighttime, when willpower is lowest.
• Not enough self-care during the day: Just as over-restricting calories during the day can cause the brain to rebound with a feast response at night, so too can too little self-care. In particular, subjecting yourself to constant pressure and decision-making without enough input-and-decision-free breaks can wear down your willpower too. There are only so many good decisions you can make in a day. If this is you, try to add another two more breaks completely away from other people, electronic devices, and the necessity to respond and/or make any decisions. It can make a big difference. So too can a short period of meditation and journaling or free-writing.
• Not enough sleep: Paradoxically, nighttime eating can be exacerbated by not getting enough sleep. And of course, eating at night can interrupt your sleep too, creating a downward cycling snowball. Pay a little more attention to your sleep patterns, consider going to bed at a standard time, make the bed for sleep only

If you struggle with nighttime overeating, you might also want to try making your nighttime food decisions in the morning. Plan out your evening meal and be sure it's substantial enough for you to look forward to

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Might want to credit what appears to be the source, looks like cut and paste of one section from the article, in case someone wants to read the whole thing:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/never-binge-again/201901/how-stop-binge-eating-in-three-unusual-steps

Thanks!

STEP THREE: Separate Your Constructive vs. Destructive Thoughts About Food was very similar to what I learned in Rational Recovery. Instead of "Food Demon" we used "Addictive Voice." The "Addictive Voice Recognition Technique" was very effective to help me stop self-medicating with alcohol.

This is much harder with food. With alcohol, there is drinking or not drinking. It's so much easier to simply not go to the liquor store than to be faced with countless decisions at the supermarket.

The article gives an example of a rule for moderating chocolate. This may or may not be helpful for me. "I don't drink. Period." really worked for me but if I can have chocolate under SOME circumstances, I recognize that this is arbitrary, and my Food Demon/Addictive Voice is easily able to convince me to change the rules. Or just not make the rules in the first place. Are there are so many foods, which could result in so many rules...I'm overwhelmed just thinking about it.

Which brings me back to:

STEP ONE: Understand and Confront the Forces and Myths in Our Culture That Keep People Fat.

I liked the part about the reptilian brain:

"...We think a large part of what happens when you "lose control" or change your mind about your diet in the face of a tempting treat is that survival mechanisms in the reptilian brain have been mistakenly activated and misdirected towards the treat. This is why people feel like all their best-laid plans go out the window at the moment of temptation. Those plans are in their higher brain, but the reptilian brain is taking over."

I'm in a really toxic family situation right now and need for X to happen before I can move out. X is getting closer, but there are still several barriers. Meanwhile, I'm under a ton of stress, and often using food to self-soothe. Actually, it's really amazing I haven't gone back to self-medicating with alcohol.

LifeChangz

@kshama2001 ~ that kind of stress is enough to disrupt sleep. glad you have counseling to help. agree, phrasing it as 'addictive voice is helpful to keep it real... I use the 5q's - how, why, where etc... does this solve a real physical need for my body that needs more food now? or, am I trying to fix a non-food thing, because food does not fix non-food problems.

1BlueAurora

I have insomnia. What I found is that I was over-restricting, and once I changed my weight loss goal to losing weight more slowly, my snacking mid-way through sleeping stopped. So, I changed the 1200 calorie limit MFP recommended to 1350. Still losing weight, but now I can eat an ounce of cheese or a protein bar without feeling I "failed" for the day. Remember, it's your life and you don't have to abide by a website app's algorithm.

DebbsSeattle

4 ounces Cottage cheese with fat content, 7 almonds or 1 T unsweetened nut butter as the last snack before sleep. Chamomile tea in evenings. Hot bath concluding two hours before bedtime. Consistent sleep schedule. Apple cider vinegar, 1 T in warm water 3 x day. Increase activity to include 15 minute walks 3 x a day. Seek a more balanced diet if you are being too exclusionary. Up protein especially at your evening meal (60-90 grams a day). Are you drinking enough water? Try adding lemon to your water. Lastly, research fasting methods, specifically intermittent fasting methods, tips, etc to help you get through the night.

Myself, I have not had eating in the night be my problem since I was fit and active. Are you at your goal weight? Have you passed your best weight? Are you VERY active and maybe missing the mark on enough calories?

goldengirl111

benchstep wrote: »

The last 2 months I am having a problem. I wake up 3 or 4 times a night. By the 3 or 4th time I am going down to the kitchen and eating something and then I am over my calories. Anyone have a similar problem?

www.oa.org

sarabushby

Maybe a small glass of milk would be enough to fill you so you can get back to sleep? On the VERY rare occasion I’ve been too hungry to sleep this has been my fix and the calories aren’t excessive if you’re only having a small glass.

JohnnyQBelleville13

My man, I have struggled with bouts of this on and off for 4 years now (going on four months "clean").

Look up 'Nocturnal Eating Syndrome"- it's an eating/sleep disorder.

In my case, there are a few things that helped-

1-Eating a regular breakfast, lunch and dinner and not eating a huge dinner while pecking at breakfast/lunch (I believe this is what triggered the restless nights in me)

2- Getting (and staying on) 'Sertaline' (an anti depressant) has really helped me sleep through the night. Obviously this might not work for you, but helped in addressing the root of my own issues

3- I have also found that not 'giving in' for a few nights in a row (even if you're up 6 times, don't eat- I know this is more difficult than it sounds) can help 'reset your system' and I have found that if I can make it about 4 days without indulging the late night sweet tooth, my body stops waking itself up as much.

Feel free to message me if you wish and this sounds applicable to you, this is unfortunately an area I have some experience in.

GloriaBJN

I used to eat cheddar cheese or peanut butter before bedtime. That was before I started dieting. I tend to eat throughout the evening, clear up until 10, 10:30. My daily regiment tends to be coffee in the morning with 128 cal, a lighter "break fast" at noon or brunch ranging from 300-400 calories. A low cal afternoon snack if required, a supper consisting of 500ish, calories, then 500ish throughout the evening. This goes against everything people say to do, but it's what works for me. Going to bed on an empty stomach would totally wreck my balance. With the body burning the calories throughout the night, there's zero chance of hunger in the wee hours, and I can tolerate a "fast" til at least 11 AM after a moderate morning coffee consumption.

I guess my recommendation would be to have your snack before bed, and make sure you saved those calories for that time slot. Also the cheese or peanut butter always worked magic for me. I think it was the protein/fat that kept me full, and there was no risk of a glycemic spike/drop. My science could be out in this, but it worked for me.

Melwillbehealthy

I developed this 3 a.m. waking up and eating about a year after Covid started. I was stuck inside, watching tv all day, laying on the couch, gaining weight. It was just a horrible time when I developed a lot of bad habits. I would fall asleep on the couch during the day and then be unable to sleep at night, so I’d finally get up and eat. A lot of boredom.
Before covid existed, I never had insomnia or any trouble sleeping. Now, I’m having to retrain myself with good sleeping habits. I started binging in the wee hours of the morning. I’ve stopped it now. One thing that helped me is my doctor wants me to do intermittent fasting, which means I shouldn’t eat in the middle of the night. I’m still struggling with fasting for 16 hours, but I do my best.
Seriously wanting my health back helps me to stop eating.
For me, I had eaten enough during the day, it has just been a physiological thing.

Melwillbehealthy

Whoops, I meant psychological thing!