HOW TO STOP LATE-NIGHT EATING

Find yourself raiding the fridge or the kitchen cupboards before bed? Here’s why it happens – and what you can do about it

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YOU know it’s not a good thing, but you do it anyway. You eat the ice cream, or the biscuits, or the cheese. And then you feel guilty about eating so late at night, or frustrated that you can’t stop yourself.

Many of us find ourselves overeating at night, especially after a long day. It’s a habit that can feel uncontrollable.

If you find yourself raiding the fridge before bed and you want to do something about it, the first step is understanding the root cause of your nighttime overeating. Here are the most common reasons and what you can do to address them.

YOU’RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP

Lack of sleep is a major factor in nighttime overeating. Sleep and appetite are closely linked, with hormones such as ghrelin and leptin playing crucial roles in regulating hunger. Ghrelin signals hunger to the brain, while leptin tells the brain when you’re full.

When you don’t get enough sleep, your ghrelin levels increase and your leptin levels decrease, which means you feel hungrier to begin with and less satisfied after eating. You also tend to reach for more kilojoule-dense foods (particularly those high in sugar and fat) for the quick energy boost your sleep-deprived body is craving.

What to do

Improving your sleep hygiene can help regulate these hunger hormones and reduce the urge to overeat at night. How? Go to bed at the same time every night, reduce screen time before bed and sleep in a dark room.

YOUR BODY IS CRYING OUT FOR NUTRIENTS

Sometimes overeating at night is simply a sign that your body is lacking certain nutrients – perhaps because the meals you eat during the day lack key nutrients such as protein, healthy fats or fibre.

Protein in particular is important for keeping hunger at bay because it helps regulate your appetite and promote feelings of fullness.