Waking up to eat at night more than twice a week and consuming over 25 percent of daily calories after dinner could indicate an underlying medical condition, according to endocrinologist Natalia Tananakina.
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According to the specialist, this pattern may signal metabolic and sleep disorders. One possible cause of nighttime hunger is insulin resistance and prediabetes. Decreased cellular sensitivity to insulin disrupts blood glucose regulation, triggering hunger pangs, including during the night.
Nighttime hunger can also be linked to hypothyroidism—a condition in which the thyroid gland fails to produce sufficient hormones. This slows down metabolism and alters eating behavior, often increasing evening food cravings.
Another potential cause is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This condition causes periodic pauses in breathing during sleep, leading to frequent awakenings that the individual might not even consciously notice. Such sleep disruptions alter the balance of ghrelin and leptin, the key hormones responsible for regulating hunger and satiety.
This disorder is typically characterized by an individual consuming at least a quarter of their daily caloric intake after dinner, waking up regularly to eat, and experiencing a near-total loss of appetite in the morning.
"Even simple sleep deprivation impacts nighttime hunger," Tananakina stated. "If a person sleeps less than seven hours, ghrelin levels may rise while leptin levels drop, intensifying hunger even if adequate nutrition was consumed during the day."
The doctor advises consulting an endocrinologist if nighttime eating occurs twice or more per week, accompanied by a lack of morning appetite and bouts of evening overeating. Additionally, symptoms such as unexplained weight gain, persistent fatigue, dry skin, and menstrual irregularities warrant a comprehensive medical evaluation.
