Table of contents:
- What to do to prevent midnight hunger
- 1. Go to bed early
- 2. Brush your teeth after dinner
- 3. Make sure to eat enough during the day
- 4. Eat foods high in protein and fiber at dinner
- 5. Find busy before bed to prevent hunger in the middle of the night
Eating in the middle of the night is a bad habit that should be stopped. Besides being unhealthy because it triggers the risk of many chronic diseases, this habit can also make you fat especially for people who are dieting. Then, how do you prevent midnight hunger?
What to do to prevent midnight hunger
1. Go to bed early
One study shows that people who like to sleep late or stay up late are more likely to feel very hungry in the middle of the night. Hence, don't delay your bedtime.
The sooner you go to sleep, the less chance you will have to go to the kitchen to rummage through the refrigerator for snacks. In order to sleep quickly, turn off the TV screen and keep gadgets such as cellphones and laptops away before bedtime. You can also drink warm milk before bed so you can sleep better without waking up to hunger.
2. Brush your teeth after dinner
Reporting from the Verywell Fit page, people who are on a diet usually chew mint gum before bed to prevent snacking cravings after dinner.
The clean and cool sensation of the mint makes them reluctant to re-contaminate their mouths with other foods. The mint sensation in the mouth also makes any food or drink that enters taste bitter.
If you don't have mint perment at home, quickly replace brushing your teeth after dinner with mint or other flavored toothpaste that also gives a fresh and cold spicy sensation. Plus, you also clean your teeth as well.
3. Make sure to eat enough during the day
To prevent hunger in the middle of the night, you don't need to be afraid to eat during the day. Forcing to limit your calorie intake throughout the day actually makes it easy for you to get hungry in the middle of the night and end up overeating.
Therefore, fulfill your needs properly during the day, do not hold back not to eat.
4. Eat foods high in protein and fiber at dinner
Protein and fiber are sources of nutrients that can keep you fuller for longer. In addition, fiber also helps reduce bad LDL cholesterol which is harmful to the health of the heart and blood vessels.
So, fill your dinner plate with sources of animal protein (lean chicken / beef / fish, cheese, milk, yogurt) or vegetable (tofu, tempeh, soybeans, and nuts) and sources of fiber such as fresh fruit and vegetables. You can also make fruit as a snack before bed to prop your stomach so you don't wake up easily because you are hungry in the middle of the night.
5. Find busy before bed to prevent hunger in the middle of the night
Usually, the less activity you can do at night. But if conditions force you to sleep late at night, find something else to do to divert your mind to snacking fad. For example, reading a book or meditating. This will help keep your mind distracted from hunger, and ultimately also make it easier to fall asleep.
x