Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night starving? It seems like you need to eat right away in order to get back to sleep. Why does this happen?

This is a normal reaction due to low Blood Sugar. Since you are going a long period of time without eating, your blood glucose levels can drop to very low levels.

Your body releases Stress Hormones, so your brain can get enough energy to run. Your brain is very active while you are asleep. The stress hormones, however, are also likely to jolt you awake.

There are tips you can do at night whenever you do jolt awake. However, it is best to prevent it from happening in the first place, so you can sleep through the night!

The most important piece of advice I can give is simple. You need to eat breakfast! Do not fight this. Lunch is just as important.

If you are not eating throughout the day, you are going to wake up in the middle of the night. Your blood sugar will be too low for you to sleep all the way through.

Also, skipping meals will raise your stress hormones, making it more likely for you to wake up in the middle of the night. This also slows your metabolism.

It is great to avoid desserts and foods with refined carbs, like spaghetti, rice, or pasta. According to Elizabeth Michaels, this will lead to a quick spike in blood sugar, and then it will plummet very quickly after.

Just as not skipping meals is key, making sure your meal times are consistent is also very important. Eating at the same time every day will help you to manage your blood sugar.

Another great way to avoid waking up in the middle of the night is managing and reducing your stress. If you can respond to your stress in a healthy way, you are more likely to maintain a low amount of stress hormones in your body.

It is also good to stay away from late night snacking, especially during a mindless activity. People in general tend to eat less healthy foods at night. Therefore, be aware of your activities. Will you be tempted to devour a bunch of junk food?

You should make sure that your sleep schedule is the highest priority in your life. This will help you to manage your blood sugar levels and prevent you from overeating.

It is also a great idea to eat well-balanced meals. Make sure you are not indulging on nothing but proteins and skipping vegetables. Make sure you are getting proper nutrients and minerals that you need for your body to function. Do this in every meal!

It would be wise to keep junk food out of your home. It will help take away the temptation to eat unhealthy foods at night.

Talk with your doctor about balancing your meal plan and make sure you follow their instructions. Taking steps during the day will help you avoid jolting awake throughout the night due to hunger.

Bibliography

Michaels, E. (2017). How to curb hunger at night with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Meal Plans. Retrieved from https://diabetesmealplans.com/7822/how-to-curb-hunger-at-night/

UHN Staff. (2016). Do you bolt awake at 3 a.m.? Low Blood Sugar symptoms may be to blame. Universal Health News. Retrieved from http://universityhealthnews.com/daily/diabetes/do-you-bolt-awake-at-3-a-m-low-blood-sugar-symptoms-may-be-to-blame/

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