You wake up in the middle of the night and remember you have
those brownies you just made the night before. You try to
resist, but it's not use; you're up and heading for the
kitchen to eat a brownie and drink a glass of milk. Every
night, millions of people go through the same thing.
Midnight snacking can be a problem but it's not a problem
that can't be fixed. It's all about changing your behavior
patterns. You can teach yourself not to raid the kitchen in
the middle of the night; it might take a while and you'll
have to be persistent, but you can do it.
This longing for food in the wee hours of the night may be
brought on by hunger, not habit. If hunger is your problem,
you may not be eating enough during the day. Either you're
eating too few meals during the day or you're not eating
enough calories to sustain your body through the night.
You might want to try to eat more during the day instead of
eating three regular meals. This way your stomach feels
fuller and you are getting sufficient calories to get you
through the night without having to get up and raid the
fridge.
Eating a large dinner will delay digestion and hinder your
sleep. Eating a high-carb snack at bedtime, such as fruit
or crackers, can help you sleep better and keep your stomach
at rest until morning.
You might think having a glass of wine or a shot of whiskey
before bed will help you relax, but the fact is alcohol will
make you hungrier and put added calories into your system
that you don't need. A glass of warm milk is much better
because it is relaxing and makes your stomach feel full.
Caffeinated drinks are not your best bet to have before you
go to bed; they will make you restless and not allow you to
have a good night's sleep. If you wake up and are thirsty,
drink a glass of cold water; this will give your stomach a
fuller feeling plus water is an essential part of your diet.
You shouldn't lay in bed wide awake and just toss and turn,
so, try getting up and reading, or listen to some soothing
music. Wait until you feel sleepy to get back into bed.
You have to work at this routine to keep yourself from
falling back into the midnight snack desire. It will take
time, but if you stick to it, you'll see great results in no
time.