Ways to Control Late Night Overeating

All opinions are mine and mine alone.

Ways to Control Late-Night Overeating  

There are a few core rules that everyone will suggest if you’re trying to live a healthier life. Avoiding food late at night is almost always at the top of the list. But for many people (myself included!), that is easier said than done. 

If you—like me—tend to wander into the kitchen well after you know you should, then I’ve got good news! There are a few tips and tricks that can help you curb your nocturnal noshing.  

Of course, there is no magic solution. But you are almost certain to find something on this list that can help you kick the habit!  

Consider Your Schedule 

This one might seem a little obvious, but it’s not the time of day that dictates whether you should be eating or not. The advice to avoid late-night eating is based on the assumption that you’re active during the day and sleeping at night.  

If you work nights, however, you’ll need to flip the advice on its head. You’ll want to avoid eating during the day and treat your overnight schedule the same way other people treat their days.   

Basically, you want to avoid eating within four to five hours before you go to bed.   

For some people, this just isn’t an option regardless of when you sleep. You might get off work and have just enough time to eat before you go to bed.  

It’s an unfortunate truth of the demands placed on many of today’s employees. In these cases, my best advice is to just do what you need to do and focus your energies on other things. Eating right before bed is better than not eating, after all.  

But if your schedule permits, try to eat your last meal about four hours—at least—before you go to bed. It doesn’t matter when you go to bed; so long as you keep that buffer in place, you should be fine.  

Pinpoint Your Cause 

I’ve listed a few reasons why people might eat right before bed. Namely, your schedule might not allow for much else.  

But if that’s not the case for you and you still eat right before going to sleep, you’ll want to pinpoint the reasons you eat late at night.  

Is it because you don’t eat enough earlier in the day? Some research shows that your willpower is worse at night. So, if you’ve been counting calories all day, you’re more likely to break and snack before bed.  

The solution? Eat a little more at dinner and give yourself a break with guilt-free desserts.  

Or maybe you eat late at night because you’re tired. Some people might find this silly, but anyone with even low-grade insomnia will tell you that “just going to bed” is easier said than done.  

And when you’re that tired but can’t sleep, your body is going to demand energy in some other form. If this sounds like you, your best bet is to treat your insomnia. That should do more to curb your late-night hunger than anything else.  

Use Meal Plans and Routine 

Another common reason people eat late at night is that it can take a good chunk of time just to figure out what to eat. By the time you make your decisions and get your food ready, it’s well past when you’re supposed to eat.  

Meal plans and routines are the best way to tackle this problem. Planning even one day ahead takes the pressure off when dinnertime hits. You know what you’re going to eat and that you have the ingredients you’ll need.  

And once you set the habit of planning one day ahead, you can bump your planning up to two days. Over time, you might even find yourself planning a week or a month ahead!  

Routines, like meal planning, are great tools to help you avoid late-night eating. Habits like brushing your teeth right after dinner, loading up on water as you get close to bed, and cleaning your kitchen to remove reasons for a pitstop are all helpful habits.  

They put roadblocks in your way when you want to eat and make it harder to justify that last-minute, late-night snack.  

Address Emotional Eating 

Of course, not all late-night eating is easily addressed. Some people eat very late at night because it is a way for them to deal with strong emotions.  

These emotions might be negative, or they might be boredom. Either way, addressing the emotions is the best way to address the eating habit.  

Emotional eating can have its roots in some very deep places. If this sounds familiar, you might want to consider finding someone to talk to.  

Unfortunately, this option might not be available to you. If that is the case, there are workbooks that might be able to help you address the problem until you can see a professional. 

 The Takeaway 

People take late-night strolls to the fridge for a lot of reasons. And if you want to break the habit, you’ll have to identify why you take that detour to your fridge before bed. 

If it’s due to your schedule, try to set habits that will help keep you on track to eat earlier. Creating new habits like brushing your teeth after dinner and making sure you get enough water are great ways to take care of yourself while breaking the habit of late-night overeating.  

If you do find yourself absolutely needing a treat before bed, try and reach for something healthy. Frozen bananas, dark chocolate, and fresh fruit are always great options when you really need something to sweeten your dreams.