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You have eaten dinner, you are very full, and yet, half an hour later, you start raiding the kitchen cupboards. Does that mean anything to you?
Studies suggest that around a third of people snack after their evening meal every night; among 18-24 year olds, four out of five are unable to resist it.
Dietitian Kristine Beaulieu says this is concerning. She cites studies showing that the more people eat in the two hours before bed, the higher the risks of weight gain and obesity.
So why are evening cravings so common? And what can you do to control them?
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Appetite peaks in the evening
Although we go more time without eating when we sleep, research suggests that our appetite naturally peaks in the evening, almost regardless of the amount of food ingested earlier in the day.
Professor James Betts, who studies how the body manages food and energy at the University of Bath, says an important factor is that our 'hunger hormone', ghrelin, is generally higher towards the end of the day.
“Although meals tend to suppress it, this only really happens after the first meal of the day, not after lunch or dinner.”
But what you eat also matters. Meals high in protein, fiber and volume tend to keep us fuller for longer.
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Betts says that not having a nutritious or filling evening meal can lead to a "shot of fatigue" later in the day, leading people to snack.
For others, the fear of waking up hungry during the night is also a motivator, while habit also plays a role.
“If snacking happens often in the same place, surrounding stimuli can start to trigger cravings,” says Professor Suzanne Higgs, an appetite expert at the University of Birmingham.
“For example, if a person has the habit of snacking while watching TV, simply turning on the TV can make them want to eat.”
Why are sweets so tempting?
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It's not just feelings of hunger that increase throughout the day. Studies suggest that our appetite for high-calorie foods also intensifies, driven by the brain's reward system rather than an actual energy need.
“Our desire and liking for high-fat foods is greater at the end of the day than for low-fat foods,” says Beaulieu, who divides his time between the University of Leeds and the Université de Moncton in Canada.
“This hedonic drive can short-circuit satiety signals, making us want to snack or eat dessert even if we are full.”
Even after a large evening meal, foods high in sugar, fat, or salt can continue to activate the brain's reward circuits, which is why many people find themselves craving even more.
So, if you find yourself in front of the box of biscuits at 9 p.m., it may not be a lack of willpower. It's your biology playing tricks on you.
Does snacking make it harder to sleep?
The results are mixed. But it is certain that a heavy meal eaten late in the evening disrupts digestion and the body's normal preparation for sleep.
What about snacking? On this point, research is less conclusive.
Some studies suggest that foods high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars, such as white bread, white rice, cookies and cakes, may be linked to poorer sleep quality.
Researchers think this may be because these foods cause larger fluctuations in blood sugar levels and may alter some of the hormonal signals involved in regulating sleep and appetite.
However, it is difficult to establish a cause and effect link. People who sleep poorly may be more likely to snack on sugary foods.
“We know that lack of sleep not only increases appetite, but also the desire for energy-rich foods,” explains Professor Jonathan Johnston, a sleep and body clock expert at the University of Surrey.
This means it's very difficult to draw definitive conclusions about whether late-night snacking disrupts sleep, Betts says.
"The evidence is far from clear and may reflect the fact that some people respond differently to different foods before bed."
How to snack healthier
First, determine what is motivating the snacking.
“Eating while distracted, such as while watching TV, can cause people to consume more because they pay less attention to how much they have eaten,” says Higgs.
But there's no need to ban evening snacks altogether, Beaulieu says.
“It’s okay to eat those foods you crave from time to time, in moderation.”
The secret, she says, is to make the healthy choice the default.
"If the foods you crave aren't regularly in your cupboards, and a healthy option is available, that means you're more likely to choose the healthier option."
We used AI to help translate this article, originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.
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