Night Eating

Many people report that avoiding overeating, emotional eating or binging during the day isn't nearly as difficult as avoiding it at night. In fact, many people eat twice as much at night than they eat the whole day through. In order to understand night eating you'll need to look at what about the night makes you anxious.

Here are a few tips to unwind at night and avoid food:

1. Look into what the night represents for you. For most night eaters they have some anxiety about the evenings. It might be loneliness. It might be the time you miss a partner or your children. It might be fear of being home alone. It might be dread for the day ahead. You will have to take an inventory of the feelings that night brings up for you. Next to the list write responses of things that could address those feelings. And remember to be compassionate with yourself.

2. Don’t buy your favorite night eating food.

3. If you have anxiety about being able to fall asleep without eating at night you may have to develop a new routine. If you’ve found that food before bedtime make you sleepy. Basically, your mind has found a solution that works and it’s logical that you keep turning back to it. You have to show your mind that there is another option. Create a bedtime ritual for yourself to induce sleepiness.  A bath is a great option. 5-10 minutes in a bath can raise your temperature slightly and induce sleepiness. A cup of soothing tea, a lavender cream foot rub, a meditation CD.  It might be a few things. Play with it until you find what works for you.

4. Buy a hot water bottle and sleep with it against your belly.


5. Try finding some evening activities that you look forward to, a book, a rented movie, a craft or hobby, a visit with a friend. Many people want to relax and make the most of their time off, but don't know how to. Learn to find ways to enjoy your evenings.

Food never fulfills your real need. It just buys you another night of decreased anxiety. If you learn how to address your anxiety directly, you'll feel more satisfied and won't suffer the effects of overeating at night. For more information about night eating and emotional eating visit my website www.shrinkyourself.com