What Getting Up To Eat In The Middle Of The Night Could Reveal About Your Health

The process of eating is a seemingly straightforward activity, and adhering to a regular schedule of meals and snacks can help to keep hunger at bay. Yet hunger itself is actually a biologically complex process that's regulated by a combination of cues from fullness, the brain's hypothalamus (which is part of the limbic system), hormones, and blood glucose levels. When you're eating enough food on a regular basis, your stomach should be able to tell your brain when you are full. This helps you go for long stretches of time without having to eat food, such as during the overnight hours. So if you feel like you had a pretty decent evening meal, you might be surprised if hunger strikes in the middle of the night. Getting up to eat in the middle of the night isn't necessarily a problem, but the need for chronic nighttime snacking could be related to causes ranging from diet and exercise to underlying medical concerns you might need to discuss with a doctor.

The first possible cause of occasional nighttime eating is also relatively innocuous: You might not eat enough during the day. Sometimes this happens if your regular meal schedule is out of order, and especially if you have dinner earlier than usual. Eating smaller quantities in conjunction with a more active day than normal could also create a larger calorie deficit than you're used to. All of these factors could spur hunger cues in the middle of the night and lead to snacking to help satisfy them. Unless this happens to you every night, occasional nocturnal hunger isn't anything serious to worry about, and it can be addressed by ensuring adequate food intake or eating dinner a little later — but not a heavy meal right before bedtime.

On the flipside, constantly being hungry in the middle of the night could be a red flag that other aspects of your health might need attention. One example is the effect of an increase in exercise. Whether you are beginning a new exercise program, or have increased your overall mileage, you might need some extra nutrients to help you recover. This also ties into not eating enough during the day to make up for your overall daytime energy expenditures.

Separately, sleep deprivation can be key driver of nighttime eating. When you don't get enough sleep, you might crave more foods throughout the day and night (especially junk foods). Abnormal sleep patterns can also induce night hungers, with shift work increasing this risk. What's more, not getting enough sleep can disrupt your blood sugar levels and cause spikes of hunger at night, and it can increase ghrelin hormones that tell your body you're hungry. It's important to know how much sleep you really need to help balance your hunger levels.

Stress is also a common cause of nighttime eating. When you're stressed, your body releases more cortisol, which can subsequently increase hunger. You might find yourself craving more high-fat and sugary foods when you wake up in the middle of the night to eat in such cases. Additionally, while being sick can sometimes cause temporary dips in appetite, some people might experience an increased appetite while recovering from a recent illness or injury. It's also possible to experience temporary nighttime hunger due to hormonal changes associated with premenstrual syndrome.

If you're still experiencing unexplained nighttime cravings despite balancing a healthy diet with regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and managing your stress levels, it's worth talking with a doctor about possible underlying medical conditions. One example is night eating syndrome (NES), which is a condition that causes you to frequently wake up at night to eat over the course of several days per week. People who experience this eating disorder tend to eat most of their calories during the overnight hours and are also more likely to struggle with insomnia. According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 1.5% of the U.S. population is thought to have NES. Separately, some metabolic or hormone-based conditions can also interfere with your normal eating cues and habits, as well as the way your body uses energy. Such is the case with diabetes, obesity, and an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism).

Treating any of these underlying medical conditions may reduce nocturnal food cravings. This is why it's important to reach out to a healthcare professional if you frequently wake up to eat in the middle of the night without any clear explanation, and if you're experiencing other unexplained symptoms. Also, if you do have the occasional nighttime craving, do your best to avoid junk foods that will increase your blood sugar and make it hard to fall back asleep. Your best bet is a protein-rich snack, such as plain Greek yogurt, a low-sugar protein bar or shake, or a piece of fruit with nut butter.