Night-time snacking – how to deal with it?

Do you eat healthily throughout the day, but then suddenly get night-time cravings and start snacking? If night-time trips to the fridge are preventing you from achieving your health and fitness goals, read on to learn some strategies that will help you break this bad habit.

1. How limiting night-time snacking can help you lose weight
2. Monitor your eating window
3. You just had dinner, but you're still hungry?
4. Choose wisely, eat consciously and move on
5. Organise your bedtime routine
6. When can night-time snacking signal something more?

How limiting night-time snacking can help you lose weight

Although how much you eat is most important for weight loss, when you eat is also important. Your body's circadian rhythm is programmed for eating during the day, not for night-time feasting. Digestion and metabolism naturally slow down at night, so late-night snacking can effectively hinder your efforts to get in shape. Here are our top tips to help you cut down on night-time snacking.

Monitor your eating window

Try to eat all your meals and snacks within a 12-hour window. For example, only eat between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. You can adjust the window to suit your lifestyle and daily schedule, although research suggests that consuming more calories earlier in the day promotes better weight control. Monitoring not only helps you be aware of your night-time snacking habits, but also reveals patterns you might not otherwise notice (e.g., the habit of eating cereal at 9:30 p.m.).

Consider whether you are truly hungry

Before reaching for the snack drawer, check your hunger level. Is your stomach genuinely demanding food, or is it boredom, stress, or habit whispering in your ear? Here's how to deal with some common triggers for night-time snacking:

Eating out of habit

1. Make your dining room table the only designated place to eat — having just one place to eat will eliminate the association between eating and sitting on the sofa or in front of the computer.
2. Create a new bedtime ritual by drinking a cup of decaffeinated or herbal tea.
3. Brush your teeth after dinner — that “fresh, minty” taste can effectively block mindless eating.
4. Wipe down the kitchen counter and turn off the lights to signal the end of the day's meals — you can even hang a handmade ‘Sorry, we're closed’ sign as a reminder. It may seem funny, but such a physical barrier can work wonders.
5. Ask your family members to support you and not eat tempting foods in your presence.

Emotional eating

1. Keep a journal to vent your emotions and reflect on the situation.
2. Replace night-time snacks with a soothing bedtime ritual, such as a bubble bath, reading a chapter of a book or listening to your favourite podcast.
3. Paint your toenails, call a friend, listen to music — do whatever keeps you busy.

You just had dinner, but you're still hungry?

Perhaps your brain has not yet received the signal that you are full, which takes about 20 minutes. Also, analyse your calorie goals. If your diet is too restrictive, then hunger can strike with double the force. Skipping breakfast or limiting meals throughout the day also leads to late eating. Your body is simply hungry and tired if you have demanded various activities from it throughout the day but have not provided it with fuel. Unfortunately, this often ends up in overeating at the end of the day.

"Proteins are an extremely important element in fat reduction. First of all, they protect valuable muscle tissue from breakdown when there is an energy deficit. That's not all. They can also influence appetite, which can be a major obstacle to fat loss." Maciej Sulikowski - SFD Expert

Try to spread your calorie intake evenly throughout the day, but also make sure you have calculated it correctly according to your needs. Plan your dinner too, otherwise you will empty the fridge completely. Make sure your last meal contains lean protein, fibre and healthy fats to keep you feeling full for longer. And if you're still hungry after dinner, but really hungry, have a small snack, but make it a smart choice, e.g. carrot sticks with hummus, natural yoghurt, etc.

Choose wisely, eat consciously and move on

A night-time snack won't ruin your progress, but mindless snacking will. Plan ahead for healthy snacks, such as a cup or two of popcorn, a serving of fresh fruit or a handful of nuts.

When you eat, slow down. Sit at the table, get rid of distractions and savour the taste of your food. You'll enjoy it more and be less likely to overeat.

Above all, don't be hard on yourself. Guilt can lead to even more overeating or mistakes the next day, such as skipping breakfast because you feel guilty about the previous day. Write down your snacks, learn from your experiences, and you'll be better prepared to deal with triggers in the future.

Organise your bedtime routine

If you go to bed late, it is easy to confuse tiredness with hunger. Adults usually need 7–9 hours of sleep. Lack of sleep can therefore disrupt the secretion of hunger hormones, making you crave sweet or fatty foods late in the evening.

Good sleep can be your secret weapon in the fight against night-time snacking. Try to calm down by setting a regular bedtime schedule and limiting your exposure to blue light emitted by electronic devices, including your television, mobile phone and tablet.

When can night-time snacking signal something more?

Perhaps you repeatedly consume large amounts of food at night or feel like you are losing control over your snacking. In that case, you may be dealing with something deeper than a simple habit. Conditions such as binge eating disorder or night eating syndrome can affect both your health and your emotional well-being.

If this sounds familiar, contact your doctor for guidance and support. Help is available, and you don't have to deal with this alone.

Sources:

• https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdfExtended/S0960-9822(18)31334-4
• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2020.00039/full 
• https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4168/5/2/48
• https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/healthy-sleep-tips