Waking Up At Night Wanting Orange Juice

swampwitch

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For the last few weeks, I've been waking up at night wanting something sweet. Last night I ate a peach!

I'm not pre-diabetes and don't have diabetes, in fact my Complete Blood Count is excellent.

My mother used to (don't know if she still does) wake up at night and sleep-eat cake and candy. But I'm not asleep (and I don't eat refined sugar) but I'm also craving something sweet.

I have been dealing with a lot lately, and more stress than usual. I guess it's not that bad but I have to brush my teeth after.

Anybody have a similar experience?
 

tutti_bella

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All I can think of is when someone is preggo and they are craving late night snacks. LOL ..
 

margecat

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Not to argue, when is the last time you had your blood sugar checked? If it wasn;t very recent, you may want to go back and get it checked again. It probably isn;t this, it may just be stress. However, when you wake up, do you feel light-headed, or odd in any way physically? If so, it may be your blood sugar being low (I;m a diabetic. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, craving food because my blood sugar is low from not eating enough during the evening. I usually have a protein snack, such as peanut butter on a slice of whole-wheat bread for a pre-bedtime snack.)

The other explanation could be that your body needs the nutrients in the orange juice for some reason.
 

calico2222

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I have all kinds of strange middle of the night cravings. Usually it's a slice of cheese with peanut butter on it (hey, don't knock it until you try it!). But the other night I was craving anything chocolate. I finally found some left over easter candy in the back of the cupboard. The weirdest is some nights I really crave coleslaw. Maybe I have a cabbage deficinecy?
 

taterbug

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Originally Posted by tutti_bella

All I can think of is when someone is preggo and they are craving late night snacks. LOL ..
I started doing the same thing before I found out I was expecting my youngest daughter!! I'd have to get out of bed and guzzle a giant glass (or 2) of orange juice!
 

strange_wings

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Orange juice in the middle of the night? I take it that none of you have acid reflux?


Once I'm asleep, I stay asleep - unless cats, DH's snoring, or pain wakes me up. In that case food is the last thing on my mind and generally a terrible idea if I want to lay back down - so's eating before bed.
 
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swampwitch

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Originally Posted by MargeCat

Not to argue, when is the last time you had your blood sugar checked? ...

The other explanation could be that your body needs the nutrients in the orange juice for some reason.
I had a CBC done in March, everything was very good (I have an extremely healthy diet and also take supplements). I hope I'm not turning into my mother.


Originally Posted by calico2222

I have all kinds of strange middle of the night cravings. Usually it's a slice of cheese with peanut butter on it (hey, don't knock it until you try it!). But the other night I was craving anything chocolate. I finally found some left over easter candy in the back of the cupboard. The weirdest is some nights I really crave coleslaw. Maybe I have a cabbage deficinecy?
Ugh, eat more cabbage... no.



Originally Posted by junior_j

I usually crave meals more then snacks lol!
Jess x
Too much work, lol!


Originally Posted by taterbug

I started doing the same thing before I found out I was expecting my youngest daughter!! I'd have to get out of bed and guzzle a giant glass (or 2) of orange juice!
Oh no, not you, too. Yikes, nobody say that again, okay?


Originally Posted by strange_wings

Orange juice in the middle of the night? I take it that none of you have acid reflux?


Apparently not.



Once I'm asleep, I stay asleep - unless cats, DH's snoring, or pain wakes me up. In that case food is the last thing on my mind and generally a terrible idea if I want to lay back down - so's eating before bed.
That doesn't sound too restful.
I don't want to have anything at night, that's a bad time since our bodies are doing repairs and should not have to put the energy into digestion.


Thanks for the replies!
 

menagerie mama

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My boyfriend sleep walks almost every night to drink juice...he even opens cans of mandarin oranges, drinks the juice, and puts the can back in the fridge! He's totally asleep while doing it. He never remembers it. I've given up talking to him during this time. lol
 

catsallover

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I would ask about hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, pretty much the opposite of diabetes-hyperglycemia) next time I went to the dr. My dad has it, and it took forever to get a diagnosis.

From what I have learned from having diabetes, some time in the night your blood sugar naturally rises (has something to do with hormones I think? and body rhythms). Maybe that is not doing like it usually does? You could get a free meter from one of the websites (or sometimes there is a coupon in the Sunday paper) and buy an OTC box of strips and check your blood sugar when you wake up like that. Otherwise, I'm going with the "knocked up" theory too
, lol
. That's the only time I woke up so hungry in the wee hours of the am that I had to eat something...

Good luck in finding some answers!
 

starryeyedtiger

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I have issues with my inslin levels sometimes (i'm inslulin resistant) so it's not uncommon at all for me to wake up craving orange juice (always low acid for me!) or some other kind of juice. That happens to me a lot! I've gotten to where I always have a small healthy snack before bed just to try and keep it under control.

My inslin meds already lower my inslulin levels but now with my new heart meds it'll drop my levels way too low so that seems to be happening more frequently lately. I'm trying to get it all worked out though!
 

kluchetta

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Have you been dieting at all? I went on a pretty strict diet, and recently I've been having orange juice and peanut butter cravings (not at the same time, LOL)
 

zooy

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Originally Posted by kluchetta

Have you been dieting at all? I went on a pretty strict diet, and recently I've been having orange juice and peanut butter cravings (not at the same time, LOL)
LOL almost the same cravings on my diet, peanut butter except I want chocolate milk!
 

fwan

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Due to me having so much stress moving across the world, i have put on 5 kilograms in the last month. I just gobble what ever i get my hands on and I literally cant stop, doesn't matter how much water i drink before eating i just cant stop eating this also includes cravings for chocolate which i don't like and other weird nasty things.

Hope everything goes okay for you
 

margecat

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Originally Posted by catsallover

I would ask about hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, pretty much the opposite of diabetes-hyperglycemia) next time I went to the dr. My dad has it, and it took forever to get a diagnosis.

From what I have learned from having diabetes, some time in the night your blood sugar naturally rises (has something to do with hormones I think? and body rhythms). Maybe that is not doing like it usually does? You could get a free meter from one of the websites (or sometimes there is a coupon in the Sunday paper) and buy an OTC box of strips and check your blood sugar when you wake up like that. Otherwise, I'm going with the "knocked up" theory too
, lol
. That's the only time I woke up so hungry in the wee hours of the am that I had to eat something...

Good luck in finding some answers!
I was told (and I used to test my blood sugar), that it usually gets lower during sleep. That;s also why some diabettics, when drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, fall asleep, and never wake up. Even after having a bedtime snack, my sugar could get almost dangerously low overnight, only 5 points above the dangerously low range.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by MargeCat

I was told (and I used to test my blood sugar), that it usually gets lower during sleep. That;s also why some diabettics, when drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, fall asleep, and never wake up. Even after having a bedtime snack, my sugar could get almost dangerously low overnight, only 5 points above the dangerously low range.
That depends. Obviously if one is diabetic their body cannot control blood sugar levels as it's supposed to - but for someone who is not, hypoglycemia is bad. Reactive, as a result of eating, is more common and not as bad. What some are suggesting here, fasting hypoglycemia, could mean something is seriously wrong - this is considered "rare". Your body should regulate your blood sugar, even when you haven't had any food for several hours. If it doesn't it can mean there's a hormone problem (iirc - SwampWitch has had some hormone problems, so that could be likely), possible liver problems, or could even be a tumor.


My DH has all the symptoms of fasting hypoglycemia. I've barely gotten him to acknowledge that he should have this tested, but getting him to do so is another thing.
 
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swampwitch

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Originally Posted by menagerie mama

My boyfriend sleep walks almost every night to drink juice...he even opens cans of mandarin oranges, drinks the juice, and puts the can back in the fridge! He's totally asleep while doing it. He never remembers it. I've given up talking to him during this time. lol
That's why my mother does, except with ice cream or cake. Boy, you sure can get some insight into a person when they are sleepwalking and sleeptalking. Yikes my mother is scary and full of anger and hate, even more than when she's awake.


Originally Posted by catsallover

I would ask about hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, pretty much the opposite of diabetes-hyperglycemia) next time I went to the dr. My dad has it, and it took forever to get a diagnosis.

From what I have learned from having diabetes, some time in the night your blood sugar naturally rises (has something to do with hormones I think? and body rhythms). Maybe that is not doing like it usually does? You could get a free meter from one of the websites (or sometimes there is a coupon in the Sunday paper) and buy an OTC box of strips and check your blood sugar when you wake up like that. Otherwise, I'm going with the "knocked up" theory too
, lol
. That's the only time I woke up so hungry in the wee hours of the am that I had to eat something...

Good luck in finding some answers!
I've asked my doctor about hypoglycemia since I get nauseous when I'm hungry, but we believe it's from B12 levels (I have pernicious anemia). When I do my B12 shot, the nausea usually goes away. Good idea, thanks!


Originally Posted by Momofmany

Sorry, I have to bring it up too. My 2 thoughts were either low blood sugar or a hormone imbalance, possibly a pregnancy.
Yikes!


Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

I have issues with my inslin levels sometimes (i'm inslulin resistant) so it's not uncommon at all for me to wake up craving orange juice (always low acid for me!) or some other kind of juice. That happens to me a lot! I've gotten to where I always have a small healthy snack before bed just to try and keep it under control.

My inslin meds already lower my inslulin levels but now with my new heart meds it'll drop my levels way too low so that seems to be happening more frequently lately. I'm trying to get it all worked out though!
Oh, Nikki, I didn't know you had heart problems... where have I been? My sister has insulin resistance and we share a lot of the same health problems. A little research shows that insulin resistance is common with hypothyroidism, which I have. I will definitely look more into this, thanks!


Originally Posted by kluchetta

Have you been dieting at all? I went on a pretty strict diet, and recently I've been having orange juice and peanut butter cravings (not at the same time, LOL)
I don't really diet, but I am very strict about my food. I eat only veggies, fruits, meat, eggs, seeds, nuts, coffee, tea, non-fat milk, and honey. Nothing packaged or refined. I've been doing this for over a year... actually peanut butter and orange sounds good.



Originally Posted by Zooy

LOL almost the same cravings on my diet, peanut butter except I want chocolate milk!



Originally Posted by fwan

Due to me having so much stress moving across the world, i have put on 5 kilograms in the last month. I just gobble what ever i get my hands on and I literally cant stop, doesn't matter how much water i drink before eating i just cant stop eating this also includes cravings for chocolate which i don't like and other weird nasty things.

Hope everything goes okay for you
My unsolicited advice
is to try staying away from the refined sugar and flour (no breads). Those are some kind of hunger trigger for me, maybe you are the same? Good luck to you, too.


Originally Posted by MargeCat

I was told (and I used to test my blood sugar), that it usually gets lower during sleep. That;s also why some diabettics, when drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, fall asleep, and never wake up. Even after having a bedtime snack, my sugar could get almost dangerously low overnight, only 5 points above the dangerously low range.
I will mention this to my doctor, thanks!


Originally Posted by strange_wings

That depends. Obviously if one is diabetic their body cannot control blood sugar levels as it's supposed to - but for someone who is not, hypoglycemia is bad. Reactive, as a result of eating, is more common and not as bad. What some are suggesting here, fasting hypoglycemia, could mean something is seriously wrong - this is considered "rare". Your body should regulate your blood sugar, even when you haven't had any food for several hours. If it doesn't it can mean there's a hormone problem (iirc - SwampWitch has had some hormone problems, so that could be likely), possible liver problems, or could even be a tumor.


My DH has all the symptoms of fasting hypoglycemia. I've barely gotten him to acknowledge that he should have this tested, but getting him to do so is another thing.
Will look more into fasting hypoglycemia... I'd never heard of that. And you are right, I do have hormone imbalances: hypothyroidism and low progesterone. I am on hormone supplements and things seem okay but this is sounding more and more like something I need to look into. Thanks, and I hope your husband gets things worked out, too.


Many thanks for all the responses!
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by SwampWitch

Oh, Nikki, I didn't know you had heart problems... where have I been?
She has a form of dysautonomia (don't know if she told anyone else, yet?
) so hopefully, like me, her heart is fine - and is just getting a bit too much adrenaline.
(While it stinks, a serious heart problem would be much worse.)

Originally Posted by SwampWitch

Will look more into fasting hypoglycemia... I'd never heard of that. And you are right, I do have hormone imbalances: hypothyroidism and low progesterone. I am on hormone supplements and things seem okay but this is sounding more and more like something I need to look into. Thanks, and I hope your husband gets things worked out, too.
I didn't know about the progesterone, just the thyroid issues. No idea what I'm going to do with DH... men, it's so tough to get them to the doctor.
We're in the final processes of getting our house, so hopefully after we get settled in I can convince him - I'll use the "what would happen if you got really sick from this?" argument.


Unfortunately it seems that just about everything increases the risk of insulin resistance.
Even the NCS I have has an strong link to it (as do other forms of dysautonomia).


Could it just simply be that because you eat healthy your body, and taste buds, are rebelling a bit wanting sweet/sugary stuff? In any case, a little extra blood work never hurts (much
). Checking for fasting hypoglycemia, obviously, means you have to fast before the test - but I'm sure you've had fasting blood tests before.
 
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