How to Stop Night Eating Syndrome
Night eating is the habitual practice of binge eating throughout the night and the early morning hours. Night eating usually occurs in people who adhere to very strict daytime diets or those who choose to eat very little during the day and subsequently suffer from severe night food cravings. Night eating can be curbed by reprogramming yourself to learn new day and night eating habits as well as substituting other nightly activities for food.
Instructions
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Eat small meals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar from drastically rising or falling. By nighttime, your blood sugar should be normal and you should be ready to eat a small, satisfying dinner.
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Prepare your nightly dinners with coconut oil. According to naturopathic doctor Bruce Fife, the healthy fat in coconut oil will make you feel fuller faster than other dietary oils.
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Drink one 8-ounce glass of water per hour after dinner. This will make you feel continuously satisfied and serve to combat food cravings.
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Keep a night journal of your feelings when you want to binge eat. Night eating often equates to emotional eating. Expressing your emotions on paper may release your desires to raid the refrigerator.
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Schedule nightly craft or creative time after dinner. Immersing yourself in a project will take your mind off of night eating.
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Fix yourself a cup of hot herbal tea. Hot liquids are appetite suppressants.
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Allow yourself one cup of fruit per night or a couple of hard candies. These foods do not have a lot of calories and will give you instant snacking gratification.
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Brush your teeth. Many people successfully use this technique to suppress late night eating temptations.
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Tips & Warnings
Have another member of your household hide all junk food and sodas from you every night.
You should see a doctor if you cannot control your night eating on your own. Night binge eating could be a sign of a hormonal imbalance or other serious health condition that could further affect your health if left untreated.
