Eating During the Night

Lately I am noticing that I want to eat and graze during the night.  This seems to be worse when I take Tylenol PM -- I took two Tylenol PM last night to help me sleep and get rid of my elbow pain, and I was waking up every two hours craving and eating carbs.  I ate two pieces of rye bread and a big fluffy roll that my sister was saving for dinner tonight.  (Now I'll have to go get her another one). Without the Tylenol PM, it's not as bad, but every night this week I have gotten up and eaten a small snack of dry protein Special K. I'm trying to identify why I'm doing this and how to correct it.  In the meantime, I was wondering if anyone else is having this problem? Kix

My husband eats in the middle of the night almost every night, and has for as long as I've known him.  He will preferentially go to carbs, especially sweets if they are around, but bread or cereal if they aren't around.  I don't know why he does it but he says he sleeps a lot better afterwards.  When we lived with my mom it really bugged her because she usually sleeps on the couch (her back) and she'd hear him every night.  She decided to test his blood sugar but it came out normal, so I think its just a habit he formed really young (his dad worked nights and would come home in the middle of the night & he'd get up and sit with him nearly every night).  Anyway, I'd estimate 1/4 to 1/3 of his calories nearly every day come from eating something at night.  I do not eat in the middle  of the night - I have a few times when I've woken up from Ryan making something, and I do sleep better, but its just not something that ever occurs to me when I wake up.  I am a heavy sleeper, so when I wake up I usually fall right back asleep.  Have you considered having something non-carby on hand and ready, and just plan for it?  Some cold-cuts wrapped in cheese, some rotisserie chicken, or if you want carbs, some better alternatives like your protein cereal, or some sliced strawberries (already washed, sliced, and ready to go?)  Or maybe you could eat a higher carb meal before your workout for some quick energy, then save one of your protein drinks for the middle of the night?  My guess is that its part of your sleeping habit like my husband and it will be more reasonable to accommodate it into your daily diet than to try and fight it and be miserably hungry (or having cravings) in the middle of the night.  I've never taken tylenol pm, I don't think I'll try it if it makes you want to eat!  Best of luck! Jenn

I've never had the urge to eat in the middle of the night. My best friends husband on the other hand gets up and cooks an entire meal in the middle of the night, he's thin and has a very fast metabolism. Tylenol PM gives me the jitters, I get all tingly and can't relax, much as what I imagine a junky would feel like, all night time drugs do that to me as well as something I was given for nausea in the ER once. I thought I would crawl out of my skin, and the nurse said it knocked most people out. ope you get it figured out Kix.