![\"Man](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/cdn.unicity.com\/media\/ufg\/blog\/2024\/07\/12143924\/How-to-stop-food-cravings-at-night_large-1.jpg\")
You\u2019re getting ready for bed, settling in for the night, all the while being mildly distracted by a recurring thought: I really want a cookie<\/em> (even though you\u2019ve already brushed your teeth). This urge only grows as the night goes on, until you find yourself raiding your kitchen for a sweet treat or ordering cookies online, to be conveniently delivered after everyone else is asleep so you can eat them in peace.<\/p>\nFood cravings can hit at any time, but tend to happen more often at night. Regardless of when they happen, they can be very distracting. Sometimes they\u2019re powerful enough that you structure your entire day around satisfying that craving, no matter the expense or inconvenience.<\/p>\n
You may feel like there are only two options when it comes to cravings: giving in or ignoring them (and feeling dissatisfied for hours, days, or even weeks). But there are actually better ways to manage cravings and reduce the power they have in our lives.<\/p>\n
What causes cravings?<\/h2>\n
Food cravings and appetite behaviors are regulated in the hypothalamus<\/a>, a region of the brain that is the control center between the endocrine and nervous systems. A variety of factors can affect the presence and intensity of cravings, including:<\/p>\n With so many factors contributing to food cravings, it can be hard to pin down what the specific cause of your nemesis may be. But when it really comes down to it, most food cravings can be traced back to lifestyle habits and what the hormones in your body are doing.<\/p>\n Hormones are involved with more than just our emotions. They play several important roles in appetite management<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n For instance, leptin and ghrelin are responsible for sending cues to your brain that signal fullness (leptin) or hunger (ghrelin). If you\u2019re a stress eater you\u2019re well aware of the effect that cortisol can have on your appetite, especially when it comes to cravings for comfort foods. GLP-1<\/a> and insulin both help regulate blood sugar levels, which affect your appetite throughout the day. And a bad night\u2019s sleep does more than make you cranky and tired; it sets your hormones in a tizzy, too.<\/p>\n Keeping all these hormones in line can be a delicate dance at times, and perfection won\u2019t always be possible. But there are steps we can take to support normal hormone levels, which will do more to help you stay ahead of your cravings than just about anything else.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve looked at the list of causes of food cravings, you can probably guess what direction these tips will take. Here are some ways you can prevent those pesky cravings.<\/p>\n Never underestimate the power of nutrition. No matter what is ailing you, adhering to a nutritious diet with plenty of fiber and protein will almost always be a crucial first step. Do your best to fill your body with the nutritious fuel, which helps keep everything running as it should.<\/p>\n Dehydration can often be misinterpreted for hunger, so make sure you\u2019re drinking plenty of water throughout the day. If cravings strike at night when you\u2019re trying to unwind, a quick glass of water with a splash of lemon can help reduce those cravings enough to go to bed without distraction.<\/p>\n Those who sleep less than seven hours a night tend to snack more (and crave their favorite treats while the rest of the world sleeps). Inadequate sleep can disrupt leptin and ghrelin production, making you feel hungry when you should feel satiated. So make sleep a priority<\/a>. It affects just about every facet of your health, including the hormones that control your cravings.<\/p>\n Most adults should be getting about 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. If you\u2019re falling short of that, start adding more movement into your day a little bit at a time.<\/p>\n Pay attention to what you\u2019re eating, how much, and, most importantly, why. Are you eating because you\u2019re hungry, or because you\u2019re bored or stressed? Taking a beat to think through why you\u2019re eating, as well as slowing down to savor your food, can make you more aware of the hunger cues your body is sending you, including when you\u2019re hungry and when you just need to find something else to do.<\/p>\n Constantly depriving ourselves of certain food groups or the foods we love can backfire in the form of intense cravings. So don\u2019t be afraid to treat yourself from time to time.<\/p>\n Making perfect choices day in and day out for your health can be exhausting and, for most of us, impossible to achieve. Taking a fiber supplement like Unicity Balance<\/a>, especially with your last meal of the day, can help make up the difference.\u00a0 When taken with a meal, the fiber matrix in Balance is designed to help ease some of the impact excess dietary carbohydrates and cholesterol can have on the body\u2014supporting normal, healthy blood glucose levels (see study<\/a>)\u2014and can help you feel fuller for longer so you\u2019re less tempted to snack at night<\/a>.<\/p>\n Food cravings are a normal part of life, but they don\u2019t have to control you. Understanding the factors that affect cravings is the first step in taking back control. The Feel Great program<\/a>\u2014which includes Unicity Balance mentioned above\u2014can also help you make the most of any lifestyle changes you plan to make by making it easier to get to the results you\u2019re looking for, including fewer cravings. Visit ufeelgreat.com<\/a> today to learn more.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You\u2019re getting ready for bed, settling in for the night, all the while being mildly distracted by a recurring thought: I really want a cookie (even though you\u2019ve already brushed your teeth). This urge only grows as the night goes on, until you find yourself raiding your kitchen for a sweet treat or ordering cookies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":3528,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"How to stop food cravings at night","_seopress_titles_desc":"Learn what may be causing your cravings and discover effective strategies to curb nighttime food cravings and promote healthier habits.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n 1<\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-health-and-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3506"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3506"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3536,"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3506\/revisions\/3536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufeelgreat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
How hormones affect hunger and cravings<\/h2>\n
7 tips to manage cravings<\/h2>\n
1. Eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet<\/h3>\n
2. Drink lots of water<\/h3>\n
3. Get plenty of rest<\/h3>\n
4. Exercise more<\/h3>\n
5. Practice mindful eating<\/a><\/h3>\n
6. Allow yourself the occasional indulgence<\/h3>\n
7. Take Unicity Balance<\/h3>\n
Take back control and feel great<\/h2>\n