Nighttime eating

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twilmot352
twilmot352 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How do you break the habit of waking up in the middle of the night and eating in order to fall back asleep!!!!!! Then I wakeup with a stomach ache!

Replies

  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,361 Member
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    You break bad habits by creating a good habit in its place, though in this instance you don't want to be doing anything that prevents you going back to sleep. I guess you need to discover what is waking you up in the first place and why you aren't sleeping most of the night, and then address that.

    Do you go to bed too early? Bed uncomfortable? Room too hot or too cold? Too heavy doona or blankets? Bladder needing emptying etc etc
  • llj1960
    llj1960 Posts: 2 Member
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    Try some camomile tea
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
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    I've learned from experience that stomach ache is not normal when you are hungry. Why don't you check with your doctor?
    And it is a habit too, yes. You have to unlearn to wake up. See what doc gives you for the pain (sounds like a gastritis to me) and then at first start trying not to get up when you wake up.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,870 Member
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    In the middle of the night I'm too tired to do more than stumble into the toilet and back to bed.

    As above, look into why you're getting up in the middle of the night. I did for a while when I lived on my own ... usually after hearing about B&Es in my area. I'd be up prowling in the middle of the night. Then when I went into perimenopause, one of the multitude of symptoms was falling dead asleep and then suddenly being wide awake about 2 hours later. And if the room is too hot, I'll be restless.

    I've found that these things help:
    - exercising in the evening wears me out (but for some people it wakes them up so they can't sleep)
    - quitting caffeine by about 5 pm
    - drinking non-caffeine teas after 5 pm
    - drinking a cup or two of camomile tea closer to bedtime
    - being busy earlier in the evening, but just relaxing the last half hour or so before bed
    - a new bed with a really comfortable mattress helped a lot

    Plus pretty much anything in the cupboard or fridge would require work. I don't have a lot of "grab and go" stuff. In the middle of the night, the last thing I want to do is to put in the effort to make a snack.
  • Raptor2763
    Raptor2763 Posts: 387 Member
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    Might the three-hour rule help?
  • kikijiji73
    kikijiji73 Posts: 1 Member
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    I understand night time eating completely. It is a difficult thing to change. I think the best piece of advice is the camomile tea. It does not have to be Camomile, but any non caffeinated tea. If that is not enough at first, a simple broth soup would not add too many calories. The tea is nice to keep in a thermos by the bedside as you can make it ahead and the thermos keeps it nice and warm.
  • fitbisi
    fitbisi Posts: 28 Member
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    Drinking a lot of water helps me to stay full before I sleep
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    I know it sounds a bit 'simple' but sometimes it doesn't need to be complicated. Perhaps try eating a little later - maybe an hour or two before bedtime and ensure your evening meal consists of some good protein sources. If you notice you're a little peckish before bed, have a granola bar or a piece of fruit :)
  • chamberlainsamantha46
    chamberlainsamantha46 Posts: 23 Member
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    Never eat late at night and eating healthy and having the will power not to eat late I believe in you iam blessed too be walking this journey with you boxergirl true champions never gives up fight the fight say. No to eating late and stop snacking
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    What do you eat in the evening? Are you hungry when you go to bed? Maybe you need to bulk up your evening meal and introduce a filling snack before bed to stop you from waking up hungry.

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