Think back — did you get up to eat in the middle of the night?
“Occasional episodes are common, but frequent wake ups really fit a pattern that means you really want to work on better meal balance, stress reduction and sleep regularity,” said Dr. Kwame Akoto, an adult medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente, in Baltimore County, Maryland.
He said evening meals that are high in refined carbohydrates can cause a rapid spike and crash in blood sugar, “which will then leave you waking up hungry.”
“That doesn’t have the necessary balance that you would see with foods that are high in protein and high in fiber, which allows time to process the carbohydrates better, and you don’t get the crashes, which then leads to the cravings,” Akoto said.
So, what should you do if you wake up with hunger pangs?
“Before you go downstairs and raid your fridge, you really want to look to see what your body actually is asking for,” Akoto said.
If you have been waking up routinely at night, Akoto said that might be a cue from your brain — hunger by habit.
“Getting a glass of water, and just waiting a little bit to see if that hunger pang goes away or not is really important,” he said. “If you truly are hungry, trying to get a small protein or low-fat snack might be helpful.”
Options include Greek yogurt, whole grain crackers with cheese, or a handful of nuts.
Symptoms such as feeling shaky, sweaty or dizzy might be a problem with low blood sugar.
Akoto offered five prevention tips to help people balance their hunger hormones and curb cravings across the day and night.
- “Eat earlier and more regularly, with three balanced meals and one or two planned snacks.”
- “Pair whole grain carbohydrates with lean protein at your meals, and add healthy fats, including olive oil, salmon, flaxseed or avocado.”
- “Include at least one high fiber food at every meal to steady your blood sugar,” which slows down gut absorption, Akoto said.
- “Reduce chronic stress with simple routines, such as taking short walk, or taking a short break for breathing exercises or meditation.”
- “Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep, and build it gradually if you are short on rest.”