Can't Sleep so I get up and eat
benchstep
Posts: 18 Member
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?
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I wake up a lot when my blood sugar gets low, once I eat I can typically go back to sleep. Maybe try planning a healthy snack for the middle of the night, or something right before bed.
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What happens if you don't eat when you get up?1
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Nothing happens if I don't eat but then I just keep waking up and usually if I eat I fall back to sleep.1
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That happens to me sometimes. Maybe try eating more protein in the evening which breaks down more slowly to keep your blood sugar up longer while you sleep?5
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I do that if I don’t have a high protein snack an hour or so before bedtime.1
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I drink a protein shake at bedtime and it helps. I’m in cirrhosis due to my autoimmune liver disease so I try to avoid medications when possible. The casein protein shake is the best thing I have found to help me sleep.
I was waking up at 3:30 every day and laying there quietly until my alarm went off so as not to disturb my husband. I have been sleeping so much better. Last night I did wake up at 3:30 and I drank a second one (this one was just a Members Mark brand 30 grams of protein, 160 calories) and slept in until 8am but I had been moving rocks (landscaping project) half the day so my body probably needed something more than usual.
Maybe your body needs something. Figure it in to you calories every day and you won’t go over. Also, you never said what you are eating in the early morning hours, but I would make it worth the
calories and make sure it fits your goals.
Good luck! I know sleepless nights are the worst.2 -
Additional thought: if you eat something at night, log it towards the next day. That’s what I do to help keep me on track.2
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IAmTheGlue wrote: »Additional thought: if you eat something at night, log it towards the next day. That’s what I do to help keep me on track.
Since he is going over his Kcals with the after-hours snacks, if he counts it as the next day meal Kcals, he will have to eat less than normal during the normal day to account for the Kcals he ate during his sleeping hours, so he will go hungry.
He may, instead, wish to plan meals that have less Kcals, but are more filling, plan more meals throughout the day, and begin checking his blood sugars in the morning, before bedtime, and when he awakens in the middle of the night to see if that is the problem.
@benchstep Are you waking up from hunger or are you eating simply because you are already awake? (Meaning did something else wake you up?).
Either way, try a protein-rich snack with a glass of water (not meat/steak/pork). It's better than carbs.
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Dang! I’m a sound sleeper. However my husband wakes up numerous times during the night. Two things help this problem: he tries to stop drinking water by ~6 pm, and he takes a THC/cannabis gummy before bed. Wyld, marionberry, 5 mg THC is the one he’s finally settled upon.
Some nights he doesn’t get up at all now, and some nights once or twice. (Depends if he has a glass of wine after dinner,)0 -
IAmTheGlue wrote: »Last night I did wake up at 3:30 and I drank a second one (this one was just a Members Mark brand .
sorry this is totally random but I was just skimming & I read that as MAKER'S MARK (bourbon whiskey) and I was like, well yeah I guess that would help you go back to sleep LOL my bad, carry on....
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I take time release melatonin, which has a quick dissolve layer to help fall asleep and a second layer that releases slowly to keep the person asleep. I find it enormously helpful….before I started taking it, I would wake up like clockwork at 3 am and not be able to get back to sleep. Now, if I wake up to use the restroom I can 9 times out of 10 get back to sleep in a few minutes. Bonus- studies are showing that melatonin supplements help prevent or slow down Alzheimer’s because your brain is getting enough quality sleep to clear out the plaque.0
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Calcium and magnesium relaxes your body. I've also heard that a small snack of cottage cheese in the evening has the slower release protein and calcium to help with staying asleep.2
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My sleep is seriously bad. I have fibromyalgia and have been told sleep disturbances are a symptom of the syndrome. I often go to bed, lay there for an hour, then get up. And I eat. I sleep better when my stomach is full, sometimes a bowl of cereal will help, sometimes it is a bowl of cereal or snack bag of chips and an hour or two of TV before I can sleep. I am 74, working very part time, so sometimes I can sleep in in the morning but not always. And I don't do well on 4 or 5 hours of sleep! Interested to see suggestions to eat protein before bed - I have always read that it is carbs that induce sleep and protein causes wakefulness.0
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reinventingsharon wrote: »My sleep is seriously bad. I have fibromyalgia and have been told sleep disturbances are a symptom of the syndrome. I often go to bed, lay there for an hour, then get up. And I eat. I sleep better when my stomach is full, sometimes a bowl of cereal will help, sometimes it is a bowl of cereal or snack bag of chips and an hour or two of TV before I can sleep. I am 74, working very part time, so sometimes I can sleep in in the morning but not always. And I don't do well on 4 or 5 hours of sleep! Interested to see suggestions to eat protein before bed - I have always read that it is carbs that induce sleep and protein causes wakefulness.
Carbs DO induce sleep for me...and then some time later there is perhaps a blood sugar dip or something that wakes me back up.
I do sleep better when my bedtime snack is balanced.0 -
waves hand, yes....
i pre-plan/schedule a middle of the night snack. my fav is a small banana (easy to peel and eat in the dark. Sometimes will make a snack ahead and keep in fridge so it is ready to eat. (think getting ready for work and packing lunch the night before so it is ready to go.) Then, if I don't actually eat the middle of the night snack, bonus. I remove it from my tracking for the day. I consider my day to start at breakfast in the morning. So doing this (pre-planning a middle of the night snack) helped me reign in free for all raid the fridge eating and work it into a reasonable calorie meal plan. I eventually left off middle of the night eating habit which developed over years/decades... I tried to cold turkey stop eating in the middle of the night and found it difficult/stressful emotionally - so this approach was a baby step/emotional compromise towards changing that. Worked for me - took a good few months - and I notice the urge returns when I am stressed out... and I go back to pre-scheduling the middle of the night snack.1 -
When I do that, I just something that's small such as a slice of cheese. I do leave the calorie allowance before bed, because I know this likely will happen. I'm rarely hungry it's more of a comfort thing.1
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Hunger in the middle of the night (and any other time as well) used to be a big problem for me. It no longer is. The hunger is still there, it is persistent and uninterrupted. However, I learned to tolerate it when it is not distracting or debilitating, and when I cannot tolerate it, for example when it makes it impossible to sleep or concentrate, I simply acquiesce and eat. I just eat something that is very low in calories, such as 250 g of broccoli, okra or a non-starch vegetable blend, log it and go on. It'll set me back about 60 kcal and while I love vegetables, they are significantly less likely to trigger a binge fest than other trigger or gateway foods. I also usually weigh myself just before I eat, and I log the weight. That helps me to keep in mind there is a reason I am on a diet.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?
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My therapist just said something very helpful to me: "We can train ourselves to be hungry in the middle of the night, and we can train ourselves to not be."
We are starting Cognitive Behavioral Therapy next session.
I've long had a goal of not eating in the middle of the night and I'm now "preloading" by eating way too much (ie: going over my modest calorie deficit) right before bed
On the plus side, my sleep is the best it's been in years. Many (if not all) of those reasons will not be applicable to the general population, but here they are anyway:- I had 11# of fibroids (and my uterus) removed. The bottom ones were pressing on my bladder so now I have more bladder capacity.
- I was taking gabapentin for night sweats. It didn't help with that (stopping progesterone when I had my hysterectomy seems to have eliminated the night sweats) but does help me sleep.
- I changed my antidepressant from Cymbalta to Remeron, which I take 2 hours before bed. (If I take it right at bed time I am groggy the next morning.)
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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 to0 -
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
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-steps6 -
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?
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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 toMight 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.
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@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.1
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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.1
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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?0 -
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.1
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