Can you explain why I wake up in the middle of the night RAVENOUS???
fairy2b
Posts: 126 Member
I eat dinner at around 6pm, go to bed around 8pm, and wake up around 4am. If I sleep straight through the night, I wake up not feeling hungry at all. I go to the gym, have coffee, and don't have breakfast until I'm hungry....about 9 or 10am.
However, when my sleep is disturbed and I awake in the middle of the night, I am RAVENOUS. Like, so hungry by stomach feels like it is eating itself and I could eat a 5 course meal.
Can someone please explain the physiology behind this? Why am I starving 4-6 hours after eating dinner ONLY when I wake up from sleep, but am fine 12-15 hours after eating dinner when I sleep undisturbed? Has anyone else experienced this and found any solutions to these unexplainable midnight hunger pains?
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Perhaps allow room for a snack after dinner?
It's hard to say, because our bodies are all so different. Just kinda play around and see what works for you. Some people prefer to eat light dinners. Me, I like a big dinner and lotsa snacking throughout the day, because night time is when I get munchies and boredom snacks.0 -
I eat dinner at around 6pm, go to bed around 8pm, and wake up around 4am. If I sleep straight through the night, I wake up not feeling hungry at all. I go to the gym, have coffee, and don't have breakfast until I'm hungry....about 9 or 10am.
However, when my sleep is disturbed and I awake in the middle of the night, I am RAVENOUS. Like, so hungry by stomach feels like it is eating itself and I could eat a 5 course meal.
Can someone please explain the physiology behind this? Why am I starving 4-6 hours after eating dinner ONLY when I wake up from sleep, but am fine 12-15 hours after eating dinner when I sleep undisturbed? Has anyone else experienced this and found any solutions to these unexplainable midnight hunger pains?
I would like to know specifics as well, because that is what happens to me - especially if I've been in a dead sleep, and not just tossing around. It's horrible - could eat an entire meal at 2 a.m when that happens!0 -
You may not be eating enough calories throughout the day maybe(?)
I make sure to have a big dinner and maybe a snack an hour before bed.
I always wake up in the middle of the night (to use the Toilet
), but i never have this hunger problem.
Maybe have a Dessert with dinner.0 -
I don't know the science behind it, but I've noticed the same thing -- I'm starving for breakfast on days when I wake up between 4AM and 5AM, but days when I sleep until 6:30 I'm just fine. I chalk it up to "a Circadian thing" and shrug it off.0
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Is your sleep disturbed from outside sources (stormy/windy weather, house noises, toilet flushing), or are you waking up on your own? If you're waking up on your own, I'd say it's because your body is wanting food.0
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This happens to me a lot as well. I like it because I have associated that hunger feeling with success. I know, weird. I get up and drink a large glass of ice lemon water and then go back to bed. No science here, but it works for me.0
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For those suggesting to eat more calories, the thing is, I'm not going to bed hungry at all. I'm satisfied from dinner by the time I hop into bed.
The nights I wake up in extreme hunger are nights when I'm disturbed by outside sources, not naturally waking up on my own. It doesn't happen too often, but happened last night and got me trying to figure this midnight mystery out!
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What time do you have to wake up in the morning? I ask, because if you're going to bed at 8pm, 4am would be a good 8 hours of rest!0
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We know that during sleep, the body switches over to a fasting state. Part of this process is switching over to how the body uses its fuel stores.
My educated guess would be that, when sleep interrupted, you are waking up before or during that transition process, and feeling the associated hunger that triggers/is part of it. Normally, this is not evident to you because you are not conscious.0 -
We know that during sleep, the body switches over to a fasting state. Part of this process is switching over to how the body uses its fuel stores.
My educated guess would be that, when sleep interrupted, you are waking up before or during that transition process, and feeling the associated hunger that triggers/is part of it. Normally, this is not evident to you because you are not conscious.
That's a great guess and makes sense! Thanks for sharing!
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No one has mentioned low blood sugar. I am diabetic and if I am ever low in the middle of the night I wake up like you described. Even if you aren't diabetic you could have hypoglycemia. The only way to really know for sure though is to test with a meter when you feel like that. Not the best option if you don't have a meter.0
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No one has mentioned low blood sugar. I am diabetic and if I am ever low in the middle of the night I wake up like you described. Even if you aren't diabetic you could have hypoglycemia. The only way to really know for sure though is to test with a meter when you feel like that. Not the best option if you don't have a meter.
I have a similar take on the matter as brendak76. If the OP, fairy2b, is diabetic/pre-diabetic/insulin resistant, then hypoglycemia is possible.
Since you are going to bed only two hours after you start eating (barely one hour after you finish eating?), you are shutting down your metabolism just as it is primed to do work. This leaves a lot of glucose in your blood. Your pancreas then releases a lot of insulin. The "dawn effect" causes your liver to release glucose right before you normally wake up. That is what gives you your morning energy. So if you wake up early, your body may be in a state of hyperinsulinemia or hypoglycemia.
I would either try eating an hour earlier or changing your evening macros or glycemic index of the carbs you eat. Increasing or decreasing the amount of carbs may do the trick. And, you know, a glucose tolerance test might be in order.0 -
I have no idea why that happens sometimes, but when it does I drink 8 Oz of skim milk. Not a ton of calories but the combo of slow and fast digesting protein fills me up enough to get to sleep.0
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kozykondition1 wrote: »No one has mentioned low blood sugar. I am diabetic and if I am ever low in the middle of the night I wake up like you described. Even if you aren't diabetic you could have hypoglycemia. The only way to really know for sure though is to test with a meter when you feel like that. Not the best option if you don't have a meter.
I have a similar take on the matter as brendak76. If the OP, fairy2b, is diabetic/pre-diabetic/insulin resistant, then hypoglycemia is possible.
Since you are going to bed only two hours after you start eating (barely one hour after you finish eating?), you are shutting down your metabolism just as it is primed to do work. This leaves a lot of glucose in your blood. Your pancreas then releases a lot of insulin. The "dawn effect" causes your liver to release glucose right before you normally wake up. That is what gives you your morning energy. So if you wake up early, your body may be in a state of hyperinsulinemia or hypoglycemia.
I would either try eating an hour earlier or changing your evening macros or glycemic index of the carbs you eat. Increasing or decreasing the amount of carbs may do the trick. And, you know, a glucose tolerance test might be in order.
This makes a lot of sense. I just had a fasting glucose done two weeks ago and it came back high 90s, I had been 'carbing up' for lifting the next morning (not the morning of the test). Docs suggested to not have a lot of carbs before bed. So far, so good as I've been doing this. I like your description of it though. Hmmm, something to think about.0 -
Oh man! It's always the carbs (my favorite) that seem to be the culprit! LOL 0
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I am also going to mention blood sugar issues. My first thought when I read this was dawn effect. Might be worth getting some blood work to find out for sure.0
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Is this a particular blood test that is separate from normal annual labs that I need to request? Everything came back normal last year when I did my standard annual blood test.
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Is this a particular blood test that is separate from normal annual labs that I need to request? Everything came back normal last year when I did my standard annual blood test.
I got mine via the physical (the lab was told and I showed up two days later). You could always ask for a fasting glucose. They will ask why, you tell them and then they can go through why you might need it. Usually they don't just say, ok....here ya go. In my case, my doc knows I'm into physique and knows I sometimes don't sleep well. She also knows I 'carb up' occasionally. So it was a no-brainer for me to have it done. Your case will most likely be different. If the fasting glucose turns up high, they will do an A1C to get an average of the last 3 months of your blood sugars.
At least if you call in and maybe talk to a nurse, you can use that as your start point. You could also ask a pharmacist about it and see what they think. They are supposed to be knowledgeable on some things like that. I am not sure if a pharmacy actually test blood glucose though (other than the meters they sell).
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BigLifter10 wrote: »kozykondition1 wrote: »No one has mentioned low blood sugar. I am diabetic and if I am ever low in the middle of the night I wake up like you described. Even if you aren't diabetic you could have hypoglycemia. The only way to really know for sure though is to test with a meter when you feel like that. Not the best option if you don't have a meter.
I have a similar take on the matter as brendak76. If the OP, fairy2b, is diabetic/pre-diabetic/insulin resistant, then hypoglycemia is possible.
Since you are going to bed only two hours after you start eating (barely one hour after you finish eating?), you are shutting down your metabolism just as it is primed to do work. This leaves a lot of glucose in your blood. Your pancreas then releases a lot of insulin. The "dawn effect" causes your liver to release glucose right before you normally wake up. That is what gives you your morning energy. So if you wake up early, your body may be in a state of hyperinsulinemia or hypoglycemia.
I would either try eating an hour earlier or changing your evening macros or glycemic index of the carbs you eat. Increasing or decreasing the amount of carbs may do the trick. And, you know, a glucose tolerance test might be in order.
This makes a lot of sense. I just had a fasting glucose done two weeks ago and it came back high 90s, I had been 'carbing up' for lifting the next morning (not the morning of the test). Docs suggested to not have a lot of carbs before bed. So far, so good as I've been doing this. I like your description of it though. Hmmm, something to think about.
If you have high triglycerides in addition to this (as well as elevated hA1C levels), you could be prediabetic. I don't have the elevated A1C levels yet, but I've got high 90's on my fasting bloodwork as well. No need to carb up when you're lifting the next day. Maybe drink a juice or protein drink just prior (an hour or so), but not the night before. Have you had any difficulties in losing the weight when you eat loads of carbs? I found that as soon as I went to a lower carb diet, the lbs started coming off way easier. The reason for this is the insulin resistance. It's something to consider.0 -
BigLifter10 wrote: »kozykondition1 wrote: »No one has mentioned low blood sugar. I am diabetic and if I am ever low in the middle of the night I wake up like you described. Even if you aren't diabetic you could have hypoglycemia. The only way to really know for sure though is to test with a meter when you feel like that. Not the best option if you don't have a meter.
I have a similar take on the matter as brendak76. If the OP, fairy2b, is diabetic/pre-diabetic/insulin resistant, then hypoglycemia is possible.
Since you are going to bed only two hours after you start eating (barely one hour after you finish eating?), you are shutting down your metabolism just as it is primed to do work. This leaves a lot of glucose in your blood. Your pancreas then releases a lot of insulin. The "dawn effect" causes your liver to release glucose right before you normally wake up. That is what gives you your morning energy. So if you wake up early, your body may be in a state of hyperinsulinemia or hypoglycemia.
I would either try eating an hour earlier or changing your evening macros or glycemic index of the carbs you eat. Increasing or decreasing the amount of carbs may do the trick. And, you know, a glucose tolerance test might be in order.
This makes a lot of sense. I just had a fasting glucose done two weeks ago and it came back high 90s, I had been 'carbing up' for lifting the next morning (not the morning of the test). Docs suggested to not have a lot of carbs before bed. So far, so good as I've been doing this. I like your description of it though. Hmmm, something to think about.
If you have high triglycerides in addition to this (as well as elevated hA1C levels), you could be prediabetic. I don't have the elevated A1C levels yet, but I've got high 90's on my fasting bloodwork as well. No need to carb up when you're lifting the next day. Maybe drink a juice or protein drink just prior (an hour or so), but not the night before. Have you had any difficulties in losing the weight when you eat loads of carbs? I found that as soon as I went to a lower carb diet, the lbs started coming off way easier. The reason for this is the insulin resistance. It's something to consider.
No, my triglycerides are very low and all the numbers were good. Just this. I have always dropped weight very fast if I go low-carb, and that still applies. I've been having well above my carbs (up until the apt), so I'm taking action.
(sorry for the hijack)0 -
Hmmmm yeah I do fasting blood work every year and nothing has ever been abnormal. Triglycerides were on the low range last time. I do notice I drop weight faster if I cut out carbs, but I always assumed it was an initial water weight drop. Interesting theory to consider. How does one become insulin resistant? Can this happen to a person who has no history of health problems and normal lab work?0
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Hmmmm yeah I do fasting blood work every year and nothing has ever been abnormal. Triglycerides were on the low range last time. I do notice I drop weight faster if I cut out carbs, but I always assumed it was an initial water weight drop. Interesting theory to consider. How does one become insulin resistant? Can this happen to a person who has no history of health problems and normal lab work?
I don't have any history either, but the doc said, it doesn't matter. Yes, it can be genetic, but it can also be dietary or just you. My sis is 100 lbs overweight. Blood sugar at 75 - each time (fasted). Mine's always around 85, but this last one was upper 90s. I figured no history = no worries. Guess not.
For you, at least inquire - then you know and have something to work from if that's the case. If not, then you can safely look at other factors.0 -
I used to have this problem, until I established a good eating habit. I eat around the same time everyday and I go to bed at around the same time as well. I would suggest drinking some water when you wake up starving, because sometimes I feel like I'm hungry, but I'm really just dehydrated. Best of luck!
-Keme0 -
Thirsty?0
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Hmmmm yeah I do fasting blood work every year and nothing has ever been abnormal. Triglycerides were on the low range last time. I do notice I drop weight faster if I cut out carbs, but I always assumed it was an initial water weight drop. Interesting theory to consider. How does one become insulin resistant? Can this happen to a person who has no history of health problems and normal lab work?
You can become insulin resistant when you eat more than your body needs on a normal basis (how most of us gained weight in the first place) and it was heavily based on carbs/sugars (or not, noone really knows HOW, but there are influencing factors). That is just one way. Genetics has a lot to do with it, but we can influence the outcome a little bit. Does the rest of your family have any type of diabetes in it? That will determine how high of a chance you have of getting diabetes or insulin resistance even prior to being overweight (i.e. parents both had it young and siblings have it, then you will have a good chance of getting it some time in your life, only grandparents had it, the you have a good chance of getting it if you are overweight, etc.).
If you are losing fat, then you aren't overworking the pancreas too much (hopefully) which is what is working overtime to convert extra sugars into fat. When you carb load, your insulin is actually working overtime to convert it into fat. When you work out the next day, your fat cells are converted back into sugars for your muscles to work (that's why my suggestion to drink something or eat something prior to working out and not the night before if you're concerned about your energy level for the lifting).
If you have high blood pressure, you will eventually get diabetes as well if your pressure isn't controlled (that is just a function of your kidneys not working right). Human physiology is an amazing thing. Hope that helps! 0
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