REASONS FOR MIDNIGHT CRAVINGS INCLUDE:

1. Poor nutrition intake

Poor dietary choices with meals high in carbohydrates and sugars like pizza, burgers, vada pav, bakery products, samosa etc is a common cause of poor nutrition in young adults.

Eating too many simple or refined carbohydrates can lead to an imbalance in sugar levels resulting in night-time snack cravings.

Additionally, a lack of protein and insufficient fibre and water intake can also make one feel hungry at night.

2. Irregular meal timings

Untimely meal patterns lead to abnormalities in blood sugar levels enhancing untimely food cravings.

Skipping breakfast in the mornings and having large gaps in between meals will also result in unstable blood sugar levels and cravings.

3. Stress

Any amount of stress increases the level of the hormone cortisol in the body leading to inflammation.

This leads to suppression of leptin (the hormone for satiety, a feeling of fullness after meals) and increase in level of ghrelin (the hunger hormone) causing excess hunger and gradually, obesity.

4. Hormones

Fluctuations in body hormones due to stress, menstruation, pregnancy, medication or a health condition, will also cause midnight cravings.

When hormonal activity is irregular, the body craves sugar and certain junk foods.

5. Mental health

A feeling of depression, loneliness and or anxiety also leads to untimely cravings, also known as emotional eating.

When you are emotionally low, the body’s metabolism is affected. Your sleep and meal timings are impacted which prompts you to reach out for comfort foods which includes snacks, sweets and junk food.

6. Insomnia

When you are unable to sleep or if your sleep patterns are disturbed, you tend to stay awake at odd hours.

Over a period of time, poor sleeping habits cause sugar levels to drop leading to hunger in the night followed by unhealthy food cravings.

7. Sedentary lifestyle

Leading a sedentary lifestyle with a lack of exercise or physical activity may also be associated with poor eating habits leading to late night bingeing.

8. Alcohol intake

While consuming alcohol, many of us also indulge snacks, which fills up the stomach leading to satiety.

Alcohol has high levels of calories leading to poor control of blood sugar levels.

What is the outcome of midnight snacking?

In addition to causing weight gain as a result of overeating, it also leads to high lipids as the snacks eaten are mostly high caloric, leading to atherosclerosis or fat deposition on the inner walls of blood vessels.

This will predispose to high blood pressure and if uncontrolled, may even lead to a heart attack.

9. Disturbed sleep

Regular lack of sleep will lead to daytime drowsiness and lethargy.

Tiredness and generalised fatigue also creeps up.

Over a period of time, sleep debt creeps in leading to a host of other health problems.

Midnight cravings can lead to multiple chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high lipids, high BP, obesity, PCOS, obstructive sleep apnoea, all of which is a result of poor lifestyle choices.

So, how can we overcome this habit?

The simplest and easiest way to alter your lifestyle and gradually cut down your midnight cravings.