Hungry before sleep is an unpleasant feeling after which the body feels the need for food... This feeling can appear temporarily or become a daily pattern that affects the quality of a person's sleep at night... Considering the importance of sleep in maintaining physical and mental health, it is very important to know the factors that cause hunger before sleep...

If you are the type of person who often feels hungry before going to sleep or wakes up in the middle of the night with extreme weakness, your body is probably not getting enough of what it needs. So, in this article from GCORP LLC Magazine, join us as we first examine the cause of hunger. We will interrupt.

What is the cause of hunger before sleep?

In general, the feeling of hunger before sleep can be caused by various factors. Below we discuss the most important factors that cause weakness and hunger at night:

1- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Premenstrual syndrome is a natural condition in women's body that repeats every month and can affect a person's physical, mental and behavioral health. Hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle are the main cause of various symptoms known as premenstrual syndrome or PMS...

One of the main symptoms of this syndrome is women's strong desire for food, especially sweets... Most women during this period experience the feeling of hunger before going to sleep with other annoying symptoms such as bloating, extreme fatigue and changes in sleep patterns.

Learn more: Insomnia is a symptom of which disease?. 4 problems that we may suffer from

2- Stress

Stress and anxiety are one of the main causes of food cravings and can affect the quality of a person's sleep.. In fact, high levels of stress and anxiety in the body are associated with increased secretion of the hormone cortisol.. Weakness and abnormal hunger before waking up.

3- Overeating before sleep

People who eat bulky and fatty food at dinner are more prone to feeling hungry before going to sleep.. Usually, eating fast food and processed foods at night causes frequent weakness at night and even wakes up in the middle of the night with a feeling of hunger..

Actually, eating starchy and high-sugar foods at dinner will increase the body's blood sugar.. As a result, you will feel hungry again.... This is why most experts recommend eating a protein meal like milk one or two hours before going to bed, in order to prevent the feeling of hunger before going to sleep, and also to improve the morning metabolism.

4- Insomnia

People who are used to going to bed very late at night, probably experience the feeling of hunger frequently before going to sleep.... enough sleep and rest has a great effect on the body's function.... disturbing the body's sleep clock and sleeping late causes the hormone ghrelin (responsible for creating a feeling of hunger) to be secreted more and affect the body... to avoid this problem, it is better to sleep before 12 pm.

5- some medicines

Using some medications can make you feel hungry before sleep or wake up in the middle of the night with extreme weakness.. including:

Learn more: How much sleep do we need?

• Some antidepressants
• Antihistamines
• Steroids
• Migraine drugs
• Some diabetes medications such as insulin
• Antipsychotic drugs
• Anticonvulsant drugs

6- Thirst

Sometimes the feeling of thirst is confused with hunger.... When the body is dehydrated, you feel lethargic and weak, which most people think is caused by hunger and weakness... For this reason, experts recommend that if you feel hungry before going to bed, drink a glass of water and wait a few minutes, maybe your body's feeling of hunger should go away during the day to eliminate this problem... Drink 6 to eight glasses of water.

7- Night eating syndrome (NES)

This syndrome causes a person to lose appetite in the morning and during the day, but it is associated with eating at night and affects the quality of sleep. Currently, the main cause of hunger before sleep and strong desire of people with this syndrome is not known.

Studies show that the decrease in the level of melatonin in the body at night is related to the feeling of the body's frequent need to eat at night and the occurrence of NES syndrome.. This syndrome is usually not diagnosed by doctors.. because the affected person does not take the feeling of hunger before sleep and the strong desire to eat at night seriously... In some cases, antidepressants can help improve the condition of the person.

8- Vigorous physical activity at night

Exercise helps control the body's blood sugar level and causes it to be absorbed from the blood by the muscles.. However, people who do heavy physical activity at the end of the day and near the night are more likely to experience hunger before sleep..

Learn more: What is anorexia treatment?... with some simple and practical solutions

These people face a severe drop in blood sugar due to heavy exercise, as a result of which the body is not satisfied during the night and they feel hungry before going to sleep.... In such a situation, you should eat a complete protein meal at dinner or take a healthy protein snack like milk before going to sleep.... Also, don't forget to drink enough water after heavy exercises.

9- Pregnancy

Feeling weak and hungry before going to bed during pregnancy is normal.... but remember that consuming heavy food before sleep can cause excessive weight gain during this period.... So take seriously the amount of calories you need during pregnancy and observe the basic points of nutrition during pregnancy...

The best way to avoid feeling hungry before going to bed during pregnancy is to eat dinner and if you feel the need to eat again, have a healthy protein meal like milk.. because this night hunger may indicate gestational diabetes.

10- Other problems and diseases

Some conditions and diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hyperthyroidism, by affecting the body's natural metabolism, cause a feeling of hunger before sleep.

Methods to prevent night hunger

The best way to avoid feeling hungry at night is to follow a regular eating pattern at regular intervals... This means you should eat three main meals based on your calorie intake based on your weight to keep your blood sugar in the normal range.

Effective solutions to prevent this problem include the following:

• Eat meals during the day according to your weight to strengthen the feeling of satiety at night and before going to bed.
• Include foods containing high protein and fiber in your dinner to keep you full longer.
• It is better to choose fixed hours during the day to have meals.
• Avoid eating very heavy or light meals.

Read more: Slimming pills.. types, advantages and side effects

• Drinking enough water during the day can help strengthen the feeling of fullness at night and reduce hunger before bed.
• Focusing on relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, yoga and meditation reduces the body's stress level and improves sleep quality.
• Doing light physical activity such as yoga or slow walking helps reduce night hunger and improve sleep quality.

A short look at bedtime hunger

Many people, even though they eat a full dinner, still feel hungry before going to bed.. This problem can be caused by various reasons that you should consult with a nutritionist to identify the factors affecting it and get recovery solutions.

For this purpose, just visit the GCORP LLC website to get to know the best specialist doctors, including an experienced nutritionist, through the online appointment system, and make an appointment for face-to-face consultation or online consultation by phone, SMS and video.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: sleepadvisor | Self