Eating too much at night often leads to unwanted weight gain. According to a study published in a 2008 edition of "Eating Behaviors," night eating syndrome occurs when you consume 25 percent or more of your daily calories after your evening meal, or when you wake up during the night to eat food. Researchers who conducted this study found that night eaters consumed about 400 more calories per day than control subjects. Avoiding or reducing hunger at night can help you reduce your calorie intake to lose weight.
Eat Small, Frequent Meals
Eating small, frequent meals throughout the day can help you avoid hunger at night. People who consume too few calories during the day or who skip meals are more likely to feel hungry at night and overeat. The 2008 study published in “Eating Behaviors” found that night eaters consumed less than control subjects early in the day, but their calorie intake steadily increased throughout the day into the night, and their total calorie intake was higher than the calories consumed by control subjects.
High-fiber foods can help you feel full for a longer period of time and cause satiety from fewer calories, since high-fiber foods generally take longer to digest. Consuming high-fiber foods at dinner can help you avoid nighttime hunger and lose weight. A 2005 review published in the journal “Nutrition” found that increasing fiber intake is associated with a lower body weight and body fat. High-fiber foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Choose High-Protein Foods
Increasing your protein intake, especially replacing carbohydrates with protein, can help reduce hunger at night. An article published in a 2008 edition of the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” reported that protein increases satiety more than carbohydrates or fats and can result in a reduced energy intake. A study published in a 2005 edition of the “Journal of the American Dietetic Association” found that women who consumed a low-carb, high-protein diet felt less hungry and lost more body weight than women who consumed a high-carb, low-fat diet. Low-carb, high-protein foods include eggs, poultry, fish, seafood, lean red meat, tofu, reduced-fat cheese, low-fat cottage cheese and most nuts, such as walnuts and almonds.
Get Enough Sleep
Getting too little sleep may lead to night eating syndrome and can affect your body mass index. A study published in a 2007 edition of the “Journal of Sleep Research” found that participants who slept less than six hours or more than nine hours per night had increased BMIs. Going to bed early when possible and getting between six and nine hours of sleep each night can help reduce nighttime hunger and calorie intake and is beneficial for weight loss. If you have to be up late and start to feel hungry at night, choose a small, high-protein snack such as cottage cheese, reduced-fat cheese or almonds.
- Eating Behaviors: A Descriptive Study of Non-obese Persons with Night Eating Syndrome and a Weight-Matched Comparison Group
- Nutrition: Dietary Fiber and Body Weight
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Protein, Weight Management and Satiety
- Journal of the American Dietetic Association: Perceived Hunger is Lower and Weight Loss is Greater in Overweight Premenopausal Women Consuming a Low-Carbohydrate/High-Protein vs. High-Carbohydrate/Low-Fat Diet
- Journal of Sleep Research: The Association Between Sleep Duration, Body Mass Index and Metabolic Measures in the Hordaland Health Study
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