Are you one of many people who believes the reason a fridge has a light built in is for access to food during the night? You are not alone if you find yourself creeping into the kitchen at night to savour a midnight snack but are you aware of the possible consequences of this habit?
Your body is designed to have a fast to help the body function and studies have linked midnight snacking and on top of losing sleep midnight snacking messed with your body’s sleep wake cycle known as circadian rhythms studies suggest it may increase your risk of:
- Obesity
- Heart Disease
- Inflammation (linked to diseases like arthritis)
- Diabetes
Before you despair, there are strategies to help you manage your midnight munchies and get through the night with uninterrupted sleep:
- Set Your Stop
A good time to set the pause from food is around 2-3 hours before bedtime to allow your body to digest your last meal and promote good sleep.
- Eat to Succeed
When you eat regular, balanced meals throughout the day your body will feel satisfied and not feel the need for more at night. Some people work best with 3 meals while others include snacks, whatever feels most natural to the signals from your body. Remember each meal should be about ½ vegetables or a serve of fruit then ¼ whole grain and ¼ lean meat or alternatives like nuts, dairy or soy. With snacks try having a serve of vegetables or a fruit with either half a serve of protein or whole grains or one of either.
- Are you actually hungry?
The next time you find yourself eager to creep into the kitchen for a snack try waiting 15 minutes to see if the feeling passes. You may have got yourself into a habit where you are not actually hungry, but your body expects a midnight snack. Other strategies to help dampen the cravings is having a glass of water or try rinsing your mouth out with mouthwash as the taste of peppermint may reduce the cravings.
- Portion your excess
There will be times when you will eat after your cut off time. Date nights and movie nights are examples and there is no need to cut these experiences out of your life. Try to set yourself limits of the amount of foods or drinks you consume on these occasions e.g. rather than the whole bag of chips try to separate out a smaller amount to a bowl or a healthier alternative like 30g of air popped corn or unsalted nuts. Over time, the added calories and nutrients or lack thereof you put in your body will not have as much effect on your waistline or health.
Take home message: Try using these strategies to get through the night without feeling the need to investigate the fridge. You may save your future health as well as add valuable time for sleep.
Reference:
- Midnight snacks are bad for your heart. L. Bryan Ray. Science. 13 mar 2015: 1213.
