Whether you’re trying to lose weight, maintain it, or just spend less on junk food, nighttime snack cravings are your worst enemy. They come at the end of a long day, when your willpower is used up, and urge you to go eat every bit of unhealthy food in your pantry. As a nutritionist, this is a common issue many of my clients experience — but if you relate, know that cravings don’t have to own you.
In this article, we’ll talk about how to diagnose the cause of your nighttime cravings and how to give your body what it needs and be firm with it when it doesn’t need anything at all. We’ll also look at healthier substitutes for salt and sugar cravings. Nighttime cravings don’t have to sabotage your health, and we’ll show you why not.
What is the body saying when you have cravings?
Your body isn’t always saying something through cravings. It can be, but cravings can come from a variety of sources. You might just be bored and want something to do. On the other hand, you might be craving certain vitamins, have low blood sugar, or just be hungry. You’ll need to determine what is causing your cravings to decide how to respond to them.
What can cause nighttime snack cravings?
Hunger
A simple reason for you to want to eat at night is simply that you’re hungry. If you haven’t eaten enough during the day, your hunger can keep you up at night. If you decide this is the reason for your cravings, you should try to eat a larger supper or a small extra meal a few hours before you go to bed. Eating right before bed can keep you awake. If it’s already late, try to find something small but filling, like a hard-boiled egg.
Boredom
Sometimes, you might want to eat something simply because eating is something to do. You should try to be aware when this is the reason for a craving, and if it is, ignore it. The way to handle boredom cravings is to find something else to divert your mind. Read a book, listen to a podcast, get up, and do jumping jacks — whatever works for you. What works will depend on whether you’re sitting around before bedtime or whether you’re already in bed, trying to sleep.
Low blood sugar levels
When your blood sugar falls, it can make you crave food, especially sugary, carby food that boosts blood sugar rapidly. If you eat foods with a lower glycemic index earlier in the day, they’ll keep your blood sugar levels more stable and give you more lasting energy, reducing these types of cravings at night. If it’s already late, you can grab something like fruit to fulfill the cravings so you can sleep, or you can try to ignore them entirely.
Vitamin deficiency
If you’re really craving one specific thing, that could mean that it has something in it your body needs. For example, chocolate cravings could speak to a magnesium deficiency since chocolate contains magnesium. However, many cravings are for junk food that has little to no nutritional value, and if you’re craving these empty foods, it’s probably not for the vitamins.
Circadian rhythm
A new study says, “Ghrelin [the hunger hormone] both influences and is influenced by central and peripheral circadian systems.” Ghrelin levels usually stay steady at night and spike in the morning, causing you to feel hungry for breakfast. However, if your circadian rhythm is out of sync, this mechanism can get thrown off.
Focusing on your sleep schedule, surprisingly, might help reduce nighttime cravings. Note: A habit of eating at night can also throw off your circadian rhythm, which then intensifies the habit. You might have to ignore feelings of hunger for a few nights to break this cycle.
How to know if your cravings are physical or mental
It can be difficult to tell what’s causing your cravings. Some of the suggestions above can help you determine this. For example, if you’re craving food that contains specific nutrients, you might need the nutrients and not the sugar or food. Experimenting with your diet during the day can help you find the cause of your cravings, such as focusing on food with a lower glycemic index for dinner to see if the problem is your blood sugar dropping.
Healthier options to try when you want a sweet treat
The easiest healthy replacement for a sugar craving is fruit. Healthy fruits contain natural, unprocessed sugars, which are much better for you than refined sugars but still satisfy your sweet tooth. If you care most about convenience, grapes are a good choice; you can wash a bag of grapes in advance and snack on them as needed for the next week. Tangerines, berries, and bananas are also easily accessible snacks.
You can try eating dark chocolate as well, preferably something unsweetened or minimally sweetened. However, this will still contribute more “empty calories.” Fruit is full of vitamins and micronutrients, but chocolate only contains a few beneficial compounds.
Snack ideas for when you’re craving something salty
Nuts are the first option that comes to mind for healthy snacks. Cheese is also slightly salty and can give you some extra protein — so can hard-boiled eggs with plenty of salt. When you really want something crunchy, try something like popcorn, pretzels, or whole-wheat crackers. They’re not quite as healthy as nuts, cheese, and eggs, but when your cravings are intense, and it’s either pretzels or chips, it should always be pretzels.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop late-night snacking?
There are several methods that might work. Eating more filling foods with longer-lasting energy for dinner can reduce cravings. If the problem is boredom, you can distract yourself another way. If your snacking habit is challenging enough, you may need to just stop stocking attractive snacks until you break the habit.
How do I stop craving junk food at night?
You can reduce cravings by eating food with a low glycemic index for dinner. That will prevent the blood sugar lows that often cause cravings. There are other methods to prevent cravings depending on what is causing them, so you might need to experiment to find what works best.
Which deficiency causes sugar cravings?
Chromium deficiency can lead to insulin resistance, which will make sugar cravings more intense and difficult to resist. If you’re craving chocolate, it might be magnesium deficiency. However, you can have cravings without any deficiencies at all.
