Eating in the middle of the night can be considered a bad eating habit. In fact, it is possible to be considered as night eating disorder. What makes it an unhealthy eating habit is the fact that you eat food that you actually don’t get to burn when you sleep. In addition to this, a lot of people with night eating disorder are usually dealing with disrupted hours of sleep.
Stopping this habit can be a bit tricky especially if someone has been doing this for quite some time already. Here are some ways on how to stop night eating disorder.
Get the support of your family
First, you will need to have the support of your family. You want to make sure that your family members are going to also do their role in order to prevent you from going to the kitchen late at night. In reality, it can be done in simple ways. For one, you will need to have a house that is conducive to a good night sleep. You don’t want people to be watching TV since this can disrupt your sleep in the middle of the night and wake you up.
Resist the temptation to get out of bed if you wake up in the middle of the night
If your body clock has been programmed to wake up during wee hours, it is a good idea that you don’t get out of bed anymore. Just try to get to sleep again in order to prevent yourself from eating in the middle of the night.
Know wh at triggers sleep disruption
It is also a good idea that you take a closer look at your behavior. What causes you to have a disrupted sleep? Do you happen to wake up in the middle of the night if you are stressed at work? By knowing the triggers, you will figure out if it is possible to avoid this type of scenario.
High protein meals
Protein is a great way to stop your body from craving. It has been proven by experts that high protein meals can help reduce your body’s tendency to crave. And if you are someone who tends to eat in the middle of the night, this can be a great way to minimize these occurrences. In addition to this, you can also improve your body composition(1) as protein helps in maintaining your body mass.
Exercise few hours before going to sleep
Sometimes, you just want to be too exhausted to move from your bed in order to stop yourself from waking up in the middle of the night. By doing your workouts at least 4 hours before going to bed, you will be able to condition the body to just rest for a long period of time at night.
Night eating disorder can be a serious problem because it eventually adds to your weight. If you are asking how to stop night eating disorder, keep in mind that there are many potential solutions to this problem. You may want to ask your local healthcare provider too if your condition worsens.
Learn about more Eating Disorder Treatments Here
Article reference: (1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2082845/