Tired of Nighttime Noshing? Here's What to Do Instead!

One of the most common questions I field in my online weight management class is "Why do I do so well with eating throughout the day, but after dinner, I start eating and I can't stop?" As is usually the case when we're talking about the human mind and body, there isn't any one particular reason this happens. That makes it challenging to figure out why it's happening, and what to do instead!

Happily, the foundations of a healthy lifestyle--sleep, healthy eating, physical activity, hydration, and emotion regulation--are closely related to the reasons people struggle with mindless eating in the evenings. Today we'll take a look at some of the most common reasons nighttime noshing happens, and explore ways you can make positive changes.

Sleep

The Reason: You're tired. If you aren't waking up refreshed, or if you need an alarm to get out of bed, you may be sleep-deprived. You might not be getting enough sleep, or getting enough quality sleep.

This can translate to nighttime noshing because your brain may read "tired" as "hungry." High-sugar and high-carbohydrate foods give a tired brain a boost, so if you're craving foods like ice cream or chips in the evening, you may need to improve your sleep habits.

And as we've discussed before, sleep matters to weight management and overall good health in other ways, so if you think you're snacking because you're sleepy, check out the tips below to see how you can improve your sleep habits.

The Fix:

• Plan ahead to relax and unwind for 15-20 minutes when you finish work, so you're refreshed for the evening.

• Be conscious of how caffeine and alcohol interfere with sleep quality, and avoid drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages before bedtime.

• Improve the quality of your sleep by ensuring your room is quiet, dark, and comfortable

• Develop a nurturing bedtime routine, and set a reminder in your phone so you get started with your routine and get to bed on time.

• Take care of morning business so you can sleep later.

• If you have trouble falling asleep, wake up in the middle of the night, or wake up too early and can’t fall asleep, consider talking to your health care provider. Sleep issues can be related to physical health concerns.

• If you’ve seen your health care provider and sleep is still elusive, consider seeing a therapist. Difficulty with sleep is often related to anxiety, depression, trauma, or other mental health concerns.

  
  

Healthy Eating

The Reason: You're hungry. Depending on how much time there is between your last meal of the day and your bedtime, you may be genuinely hungry before it's time for your bedtime routine. It's hard to avoid nighttime noshing when your stomach is growling!

Here are some tips to help you feel satisfied until you head to bed. Of course, follow the recommendations of your health care provider before making changes to your eating habits.

The Fix:

• Consider upping the amount of fat or protein in your last meal or snack of the day, so you stay full longer.

• Explore eating more non-starchy veggies, either with your last meal of the day or as a snack later in the evening.

• Experiment wtih changing your meal and snack times, so your last meal or snack of the day is a little later.

Physical Activity

The Reason: The human body is meant for motion. It’s no surprise, then, that physical activity improves sleep and helps with emotion regulation. Recent research is pointing to the importance of regular movement throughout the day, even if you engage in regular exercise daily.

Here are some ways to work more movement into your daily routine. As always, check with your health care provider before making changes to your physical activity regime.

The Fix:

• Walk for 10 minutes a day, three times a day.

• Instead of calling or emailing a co-worker, walk to their desk to ask a question or share information.

• Walk around your kid’s soccer field while they’re at practice, or walk around the building while your kid is at karate, dance, gymnastics, etc.

• Take your dog for two walks a day instead of one.

• Park as far away as you can and walk to the store.

• Walk to the store instead of driving.

• Work on developing a regular workout routine that includes both cardiovascular exercise and strength training.

Hydration

The Reason: Dehydration can feel like hunger. Food contains water, and if you’re not in the habit of drinking enough water, your body may interpret “I’m thirsty!” as “Let’s have a snack!” Here are some tips to help you avoid false signaling:

The Fix:

• Check with your health care provider and follow their recommendations for hydration first, but for many people, drinking 2-3 liters of plain water (with nothing added to it) is necessary for proper hydration, and helps manage appetite (click here for more details!).

  Have a glass of water instead of snacking at night.

• Make sure you’re drinking enough water when you exercise, to replace water lost when you sweat.

Emotion Regulation

The Reason: You're stressed or anxious, or you don't nurture yourself throughout the day. Many people struggle to follow a restrictive diet that leaves them hungry for hours at a time throughout the day. Others have stress or anxiety they keep at bay by staying busy. Some people give to others all day, without regard for themselves.

Regardless of the motivation or behavior, the underlying thinking at the end of the day sounds like, "I deserve to have this treat, because I'm so stressed...my life is so hard...no one cares...I haven't gotten my way all day...I deserve this!" Here are some ways to change things for the better.

The Fix:

• Burn off some steam by moving your body through space. Put on music and dance, go for a walk, stretch or do some light yoga, or lift dumbbells while you watch a movie.

• Think about how you can reduce or eliminate stressors or worries.

• Double-check your self-talk. Is eating more calories than your body needs really what you need? Or are you overeating because you haven’t gotten what you need all day long, and you’re willing to settle for what you want right now?

• Learn and use emotion regulation skills to help you cope. These run the gamut from grounding skills to cognitive behavior/dialectical behavior skills, to learning how to identify and express your emotions.

• Pay attention to your self-talk, and make sure the things you say to yourself are both true and helpful.

• Find ways to nurture yourself throughout the day, beginning with spending a few minutes as often as you can throughout the day connecting with your feelings. Even checking in with yourself once a day can make a difference!

• Consider working with a therapist to learn skills to help you cope, reduce or eliminate stressors or worries, and learn how to identify and regulate your thoughts and feelings.

• Carve out 15 minutes a day to check in with yourself at the end of the day. Write in a journal, take a relaxing shower or bath, experiment with drawing, painting, or doodling, or listen to music that calms and relaxes you.

• Talk to a friend, partner, or family member about your thoughts and feelings. If you don't have a grown-up you can talk to, research shows that talking out loud to yourself can be helpful, too. Therapists are fond of talking to their animal children because talking out loud helps, even though our animal babies don't respond with words. (And we can tell them anything, and know they'll never tell anyone else!)

Bonus Tip!

There's at least one more reason people engage in mindless eating in the evenings: It's a bad habit. A surprising number of people nosh at night because...that's what they do. They're not tired, or hungry, or stressed or anxious. This is similar to how many people associate watching TV or social media with eating--many people associate "I just got home from school/work" with "It's time to hit up the refrigerator or pantry and eat." Here are some suggestions to help you change things up:

The Fix:

• Instead of focusing on eliminating the bad habit, focus on creating a healthy new habit.

• Consider hopping on your exercise bike or treadmill, doing some stretching, or doing some light strength training while you're watching TV.

• Enjoy your favorite art or craft--sewing, crochet, needlepoint, painting, drawing, making music, or singing.

• If you're hungry when you get home, plan ahead to enjoy fresh fruit or veggies instead of the usual high-calorie snacks.

• Experiment with a new healthy habit like listening to your favorite music, going for a walk, or spending time in nature.

I've mentioned this several times in this post, but it bears repeating. If you feel overwhelmed as you read through this post, or you're unsure how to put what you're reading to work for you, consider working with your health care provider, a therapist, or a registered dietitian. You deserve a lifetime of good health and happiness!

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