waking up in the middle of the night/early morning hungry

Schwiggity
Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone else have this problem? It's been happening to me on and off the past month or so. I'll wake up, eat a few pieces of fruit, and fall back asleep. Which isn't that bad. But it's gotten a bit worse. I ate about 650 calories and was ready to go to a 7-Eleven or drive-thru when I snapped myself out of it and am about to go to the gym instead. And I can never seem to will myself back to sleep during these random urges.

Replies

  • Ash_76
    Ash_76 Posts: 186 Member
    dont eat food, quite often you feel hungry when you are actually dehydrated, try a pint of water instead, all fruit will do is turn the fructose into fat and store it
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    It sounds like you aren't eating enough when awake.
  • RunningAddict
    RunningAddict Posts: 548 Member
    I have the same issue. I wake up in the middle of the night starving. Seems like I can't go back to sleep unless I eat something. I have said for a long time this is one of the major factors that stops me from losing weight.
  • swaymyway
    swaymyway Posts: 428 Member
    What do you eat in the hours before bed?

    I know a lot of people like to stop eating at a certain time but it's not a method I have ever really cared for as if I do that I go to bed/wake up so hungry I can't sleep - what's the point in that? It's one of two rules I have for myself on this journey - never go to bed hungry (and the other one is 'everything in moderation).

    I always make sure I go to bed feeling full (and stay within my calorie goal) even if that means having a snack literally 20 minutes before I go to bed - I also have a big glass of water before I go up to help with that full feeling, it means I usually have to get up a few hours later for the toilet but I can live with that lol
  • Painten
    Painten Posts: 499 Member
    I would definately try eating later in the day. Staying in your calories and eating later can't be worse than not eating past a certain time of day then waking up and scoffing 600 cals int he middle of the night, early morning. Good sleep does help maintain a healthy lifestyle just as much as losing weight.
  • size08
    size08 Posts: 101 Member
    of course! it's typical anorexia. when I was 16yrs old and had anorexia I would always wake-up in the middle of the night. it's simply because you have not eatten enough for dinner, or nothing at all. I still have this problem, I find, last night I had a very small meal smaller than small.... and woke-up at 2:30am starving. I did not want to get out of bed, I did not want to eat, for once I was not lusting after food, didn't really care for the hunger panges, but still the body insist:- so by 4am I HAD to go and FEED the body!

    it was like waking up in the middle of the night and feeding a bloodly crying baby! You've got no chance of sleep till you shove a bottle of milk down the kids throat!

    sweet dreams, mate!
  • nosugarcoating
    nosugarcoating Posts: 194 Member
    It sounds like you aren't eating enough when awake.
    That's what I thought. I sometimes go to bed a bit hungry when it's been a few hours since I've eaten and I've stayed up late or had a small dinner but I have never woken up from it nor would I eat if I woke up in the middle of the night and was hungry.
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    I'm actually eating TOO much when I'm awake.
  • swaymyway
    swaymyway Posts: 428 Member
    It sounds like you aren't eating enough when awake.
    That's what I thought. I sometimes go to bed a bit hungry when it's been a few hours since I've eaten and I've stayed up late or had a small dinner but I have never woken up from it nor would I eat if I woke up in the middle of the night and was hungry.

    It's impossible to sleep when you are really hungry - not just a bit peckish, but when you get to that stage where you're actually hungry and you have nothing to do but lay there and think about it there's no getting back to sleep!

    @Schwiggity - do you eat before bed though? or do you eat your last food of the day hours before you go?
  • neela31
    neela31 Posts: 180 Member
    It sounds like you aren't eating enough when awake.

    I agree with this.
  • theraylene
    theraylene Posts: 20 Member
    Go for protein late in the day--and the best middle of the night snack is an "instant breakfast" or milk-based item. Fruit canl just make you hungry again in a few hours.

    I've heard that mountain climbers/winter campers will make sure that they have some fat in the last meal of the day--for the body to use during the night. Now, we're trying to lose weight and not stay warm all night, but it still pertains. I don't eat after 8 at night (my diet rule) but, I make sure that whatever I eat late in the day is fairly complex with fat/protein/and complicated carbs.
  • hewhoiscd
    hewhoiscd Posts: 1,029 Member
    When you say you are eating too much...what is your daily deficit goal? 250? 500? 1000? 2000? more? Too much is a little vague and can be very subjective :D
    Go for protein late in the day--and the best middle of the night snack is an "instant breakfast" or milk-based item. Fruit canl just make you hungry again in a few hours.

    I've heard that mountain climbers/winter campers will make sure that they have some fat in the last meal of the day--for the body to use during the night. Now, we're trying to lose weight and not stay warm all night, but it still pertains. I don't eat after 8 at night (my diet rule) but, I make sure that whatever I eat late in the day is fairly complex with fat/protein/and complicated carbs.

    lol, I was essentially going to say the same thing. Try to portion out your fat for the latter half of the day, and the carbs for the early part of the day.
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    When you say you are eating too much...what is your daily deficit goal? 250? 500? 1000? 2000? more? Too much is a little vague and can be very subjective :D
    Go for protein late in the day--and the best middle of the night snack is an "instant breakfast" or milk-based item. Fruit canl just make you hungry again in a few hours.

    I've heard that mountain climbers/winter campers will make sure that they have some fat in the last meal of the day--for the body to use during the night. Now, we're trying to lose weight and not stay warm all night, but it still pertains. I don't eat after 8 at night (my diet rule) but, I make sure that whatever I eat late in the day is fairly complex with fat/protein/and complicated carbs.

    lol, I was essentially going to say the same thing. Try to portion out your fat for the latter half of the day, and the carbs for the early part of the day.

    My daily deficit is 500 calories. I've been over that a good 3-5 days out of the week on and off for a while now. This semi-conscious eating is new though. And I never really stop eating a long time before bed. However, it does seem like I eat more carbs later at night because I get the cravings for them pretty bad.
  • hewhoiscd
    hewhoiscd Posts: 1,029 Member
    My daily deficit is 500 calories. I've been over that a good 3-5 days out of the week on and off for a while now. This semi-conscious eating is new though. And I never really stop eating a long time before bed. However, it does seem like I eat more carbs later at night because I get the cravings for them pretty bad.

    Try to avoid simple carbs, make as many of your carbs be of the complex variety as you can. Avoid refined grains, try to stick with whole grain or whole wheat breads and pasta instead of white. Avoid any refined sugars. Avoid food/drinks with "empty" calories/carbs in them. Avoid fried food. Stay away from Starbucks :D

    Question for ya, has your weight changed up or down or stayed the same during this issue?
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    My daily deficit is 500 calories. I've been over that a good 3-5 days out of the week on and off for a while now. This semi-conscious eating is new though. And I never really stop eating a long time before bed. However, it does seem like I eat more carbs later at night because I get the cravings for them pretty bad.

    Try to avoid simple carbs, make as many of your carbs be of the complex variety as you can. Avoid refined grains, try to stick with whole grain or whole wheat breads and pasta instead of white. Avoid any refined sugars. Avoid food/drinks with "empty" calories/carbs in them. Avoid fried food. Stay away from Starbucks :D

    Question for ya, has your weight changed up or down or stayed the same during this issue?


    The semi-conscious eating issue has been kind of on and off, but during the time period when it first started my weight's fluctuated. However, my weight's fluctuated for a lot of 2011. It's hard to find a good balance when 1 binge can basically take away 2 weeks of progress. I've been doing a lot better lately on the binge front though.
  • Chainsaw_Flowerchild
    Chainsaw_Flowerchild Posts: 65
    When I have this problem I usually eat a bowl of high fiber cereal. Works great.
  • MamaKatel
    MamaKatel Posts: 180
    I get that way too sometimes. I wake up so hungry I could eat a cow! Sometimes i'll try and just eat a cheese stick or something light but it never satisfies me. This used to happen every night when I was pregnant. I did notice that it happens more when I eat foods with a high sodium content at night, so really I think its just dehyration.
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