Lately I’ve been waking up during the night feeling like I need to eat, even when I had a decent dinner. Sometimes it’s just a snack, but other times I end up eating a full meal and then feel uncomfortable trying to fall back asleep. The broken sleep is starting to affect my mood the next day. I’m more irritable, unfocused, and low energy, and then I feel guilty about eating at night, which probably makes the whole thing worse.
I’ve tried keeping different foods around and telling myself I’ll ignore the hunger, but that usually just leaves me lying awake thinking about food. I’m wondering if anyone has found a way to manage night eating without making sleep problems worse?
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The guilt can definitely keep the whole cycle going. I stopped trying to force myself to ignore the hunger, because lying awake arguing with myself only made it stronger.
One thing that helped was preparing a small, boring snack before bed, like yogurt with a little granola or toast with peanut butter. If I woke up hungry, I ate that portion at the kitchen table with the lights low, then went straight back to bed. Having a planned option kept it from turning into a full meal, and I didn’t feel like I’d failed if I needed it.
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The “planned option” seems like the key. I’ve found that making a decision while I’m calm works better than trying to negotiate with myself at 2 a.m. when I’m tired and irritated.
I like your idea of eating at the table with the lights low, too. Keeping it separate from watching TV probably helps prevent a small snack from turning into a second dinner. Did you notice whether having a more filling dinner changed how often you needed the bedtime snack?