Waking in the middle of the night - help??

kirdyq
kirdyq Posts: 165 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
For years I have had problems with this. Usually at least once a night, I will wake up and automatically get out of bed and go to the kitchen and eat a snack. This usually happens around 2am or so. Sometimes it's twice a night. When twice, it will be about an hour after I go to bed, then again around 2ish or so. This happens almost every single night.

I am aware that I'm doing this in some sense, although I'm very sleepy when I do it. And I feel like I have no self control to stop doing it, I think because I'm so tired when it happens since I've been asleep. The next day, I DO remember that I've been up and eaten. Very rarely I will find dishes in the sink that I don't remember putting there, although on occasion it happens.

I feel that this is keeping me from hitting my weight loss goals. I feel like I'm eating back a bunch of calories and it's preventing me from losing the 15 pounds that I want to lose. Mainly what I snack on in the middle of the night is stuff like cottage cheese, regular cheese, and bread. So it's not like I'm eating complete trash like chips and chocolate, but I'm grabbing stuff with carbs and fat.

Does anybody else struggle with this? Any thoughts on how to break this cycle? I keep a glass of water on the nightstand, but it's like I have no control to just take a drink of water and go back to bed. It's like I'm compelled to get up and eat something.

Replies

  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    when do you eat dinner?
  • kirdyq
    kirdyq Posts: 165 Member
    We eat dinner around 5:30 ish.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
    kirdyq wrote: »
    I am aware that I'm doing this in some sense, although I'm very sleepy when I do it. And I feel like I have no self control to stop doing it
    This is probably your biggest problem. If you don't think you can change your habit then you won't be able to. You need to believe that you can and then take steps to do so. No one is going to wave a magic wand and you'll be 'cured'. It starts and stops with you.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    kirdyq wrote: »
    We eat dinner around 5:30 ish.

    this is your problem. Don't let yourself get hungry, and no waking up and binging. I used to do the same thing until i switched around how i'm eating my calories.

    Eat your dinner much later (hell, before bed if you must). See if that fixes the problem. Or eat a big snack/shake/something right before bed.

    You should sleep through the whole night and not wake up ravenous. If you do it any way it may be a behavioral issue and not a true hunger issue. In that case, remove the junk from your house.
  • RespectTheKitty
    RespectTheKitty Posts: 1,667 Member
    I have the exact same problem. I wake up in the middle of the night and go eat. I cannot control it, it just happens, primarily because I'm half asleep when I'm doing it. Sometimes these late-night snacks can turn into a full-on binge if I'm not careful.

    I combat these late night eating attacks two ways:
    1. Keep all high-calorie snack food out of the house. That way, if I eat anything, it will be something light like a piece of fruit or a yogurt.
    2. Most importantly, I talked to my doctor. He thought it best to treat my middle of the might waking by prescribing Lunesta for me to help me sleep though the night. It definitely helps. I wake up a lot less frequently and therefore don't eat on many nights anymore.

    If you really think your late-night snacking is disruptive, I would recommend you talk to your doctor about why you're waking up in the first place.
  • kirdyq
    kirdyq Posts: 165 Member
    RespectTheKitty wrote: »
    I have the exact same problem. I wake up in the middle of the night and go eat. I cannot control it, it just happens, primarily because I'm half asleep when I'm doing it. Sometimes these late-night snacks can turn into a full-on binge if I'm not careful.

    I combat these late night eating attacks two ways:
    1. Keep all high-calorie snack food out of the house. That way, if I eat anything, it will be something light like a piece of fruit or a yogurt.
    2. Most importantly, I talked to my doctor. He thought it best to treat my middle of the might waking by prescribing Lunesta for me to help me sleep though the night. It definitely helps. I wake up a lot less frequently and therefore don't eat on many nights anymore.

    If you really think your late-night snacking is disruptive, I would recommend you talk to your doctor about why you're waking up in the first place.

    It is so nice to hear from someone who has this issue!!! Does the Lunesta knock you out really well? Would I hear the kids in the night if they need me? Do you feel "sleep hangover" the next morning from it?
  • RespectTheKitty
    RespectTheKitty Posts: 1,667 Member
    kirdyq wrote: »
    [

    It is so nice to hear from someone who has this issue!!! Does the Lunesta knock you out really well? Would I hear the kids in the night if they need me? Do you feel "sleep hangover" the next morning from it?

    I personally don't get knocked out too severely by it. I definitely sleep more soundly, but I've also been woken up by my cat on occasion. :smile:
    I also don't feel too groggy the next day, as long as I got a good 7-8 hours of sleep.

  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    kirdyq wrote: »
    We eat dinner around 5:30 ish.

    this is your problem. Don't let yourself get hungry, and no waking up and binging. I used to do the same thing until i switched around how i'm eating my calories.

    Eat your dinner much later (hell, before bed if you must). See if that fixes the problem. Or eat a big snack/shake/something right before bed.

    You should sleep through the whole night and not wake up ravenous. If you do it any way it may be a behavioral issue and not a true hunger issue. In that case, remove the junk from your house.
    Agreed. I used to wake up in the middle of the night to eat when I ate dinner early... I used to believe in the whole "Don't eat after xxx time". Now, I eat 1 hour before bedtime; no more sleep eating!
  • Ws2016
    Ws2016 Posts: 432 Member
    Try some cheese and crackers an hour before bed. Worked for me, figured it was blood sugar dropping and waking me.
  • kirdyq
    kirdyq Posts: 165 Member
    RespectTheKitty wrote: »
    kirdyq wrote: »
    [

    It is so nice to hear from someone who has this issue!!! Does the Lunesta knock you out really well? Would I hear the kids in the night if they need me? Do you feel "sleep hangover" the next morning from it?

    I personally don't get knocked out too severely by it. I definitely sleep more soundly, but I've also been woken up by my cat on occasion. :smile:
    I also don't feel too groggy the next day, as long as I got a good 7-8 hours of sleep.

    That is awesome to hear! I went ahead and made an appointment next week with my doctor. If he brings up sleep aids, I will ask about Lunesta. My sister and a lady I work with take Ambien, and they have some crazy stories of things they have done on it. Like waking up in the middle of the night, unplugging all the electronics in the house and polishing off a large bowl of taco dip. Next morning they have no recollection of any of that going down. So, I'd prefer not to be taking that! I know I may be totally different on it, but still. I want something that will keep me asleep.

    And yes - we have a cat too, who sometimes is to blame for me waking up in the night! Why must he jump on my head!
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