Endocrinologist Natalia Tananakina pointed out that waking up at night to eat more than twice a week and consuming more than 25 percent of daily calories after dinner indicates illness.
According to her, this could be a sign of metabolic and sleep disturbances. One possible cause of nighttime hunger is insulin resistance and prediabetes. Reduced insulin sensitivity in cells disrupts blood glucose regulation, which can lead to feelings of hunger, including at night.
Nighttime hunger may be related to hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones, which slows down metabolism and may affect eating behavior, including an increased desire to eat in the evening.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome may be another cause. This condition causes periodic pauses in breathing during sleep, leading to frequent awakenings, sometimes without the person realizing it. These sleep disturbances affect the balance of the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which regulate hunger and satiety. Other signs of this disorder may include consuming at least a quarter of one's daily calories after dinner, waking up regularly to eat, but experiencing a loss of appetite in the morning.
She says: "Even simple sleep deprivation affects nighttime hunger. If a person sleeps less than seven hours, ghrelin levels may rise and leptin levels may fall, exacerbating hunger even when adequate food is consumed during the day."
The doctor advises consulting an endocrinologist if you frequently wake up to eat two or more times a week, experience a lack of appetite in the mornings, and suffer from overeating in the evenings. Weight gain, persistent fatigue, dry skin, and menstrual irregularities may also warrant a medical examination.
