Nothing is more tempting than a late night craving. They come on suddenly and they are insatiable. It's like where did this come from? Why do I suddenly want these foods that are sugary, fatty, and probably not the best choice before bed? 

We have all been there, and those late night cravings can be especially harmful if you have sleep troubles, diabetes, or any other health disease where late night sugar rushes can be dangerous. An indulgence every once in a while is okay, but when it's a constant habit, you may find yourself with indigestion, weight gain, and a harder task to control your blood sugars. Here are seven ways to kick those late night cravings. 

1. Don't skip meals 

Skipping meals can lead to late night hunger, unhealthy snacking and can slow down your metabolism. If you are purposely skipping meals because you are intermittent fasting, then you should be prepared for the late night craving and time the end of your food consumption for a couple of hours before bed. That way, if you do have a craving, you're already headed to sleep. 

But if you are not intermittent fasting, then it's important to try and eat 3 meals a day, and a couple of snacks. This can help to keep your metabolism high, so you won't be hungry late at night. 

2. Drink water 

Sometimes your body can mix up hunger and thirst. So, what may feel like a craving is actually your body asking for more water. Tray to drink a cup or two of water when you get these hunger pains to see if that works. But, remember not to drink too much water so you don't have to get up throughout the night to use the bathroom! 

3. Plan ahead for a healthy snack 

If you know that you tend to get hungry at night, eating close to bedtime isn't terrible if you eat the right foods. 

This is easy to do by planning ahead and keeping healthy snacks on the counter and plan to eat one IF you do get hungry at night. By having a plan, you won't succumb to the insatiable need to just eat anything that accompanies late night cravings. 

This can include: air popped popcorn, greek yogurt, small sliced apple, nuts, or frozen sliced fruit. 

4. Hide unhealthy snacks 

It's best to keep the cookies, cakes, chips and other unhealthy foods out of sight so when you're hungry, they aren't the first thing you see. Out of sight, out of mind right? If there is a certain unhealthy food that you often crave, then don't buy it at the grocery store s it's not even an option. 

5. Drink herbal tea 

A cup of herbal tea will help you feel full and pass the time. Because it takes a while to finish a hot cup of tea, you'll be satisfied and hopefully bypass the time to snack on something. 

Plus, by drinking tea that has chamomile, or some other sleep aid in there you will actually help your stelf wind down and feel tired for a good night's rest. 

6. Brush your teeth 

If you feel an impulse to grab an unhealthy snack at night. Brush your teeth or chew on a stick of mint gum. This sends a signal to your brain that you're finished eating and preparing for bed. When your brain gets this signal, it may  calm down the hunger cravings and secret the hormones that are responsible for all of the metabolic processes that take place throughout the night. Mint is also an appetite suppressant so is good to include at the end of a meal to cleanse your palate and send a message to your brain that you are finished eating. 

7. Keep a food journal 

Document your calorie intake a eating behavior to avoid falling into the trap of nighttime snacking. If you are gaining weight but are exercising and eating healthy foods throughout the day, it may be the late night snacks that add onthe calories. In addition to normally being on the less healthy side, late-night snacks also can't be burned off by daily activities. This may lead to more fat production and weight gain. 

Track what you're eating, as accurately as you can, to see where those sneaky calories are coming in and how much food you are actually eating. This may provide you a sign of where your weight-loss efforts are being stalled. 

If you are having trouble sleeping, and find yourself eating to pass the time, then there may be an underlying sleep disorder at play. Click the orange button below to take a free online sleep test and talk with a sleep professional about your habits. 

https://www.virtua.org/articles/7-easy-ways-to-curb-your-nighttime-snack-cravings