Your busy lifestyle may keep you up at night longer than you prefer -- or maybe you’re just a night owl -- but chances are you’ll be tempted to eat something just prior to going to bed. Eating late at night may quell your hunger pains and replenish your blood sugar, but you might also experience gastrointestinal upset or risk gaining weight if you exceed your daily calorie limits.
Your brain is still active during sleep, but your body is less active and burning fewer calories compared to typical daytime activities. If you exceed your daily calorie limits during the day or early evening, then there is some time to burn them off with exercise, but if you exceed your limit late at night just prior to bed then there is less opportunity to do so. The excess calories -- beyond your daily limit or goals -- from a late-night meal are usually stored as fat while you sleep and can lead to a significant amount of weight gain -- about 2 pounds per month on average -- if they are not burned by increased physical activity the following day, according to Kelly Glazer Baron, a health psychologist and neurology instructor at Northwestern University. Furthermore, people who eat late at night are more likely to eat fatty processed foods instead of healthier choices such as fresh fruits or veggies.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, not eating a large meal before bedtime and avoiding caffeine are important factors for getting a good night’s sleep. Caffeine increases the firing rate of neurons in your brain, which stimulates mental alertness and disrupts sleep -- factors that contribute to insomnia. Caffeine is also a diuretic, which makes you urinate more frequently. Coffee, black tea, colas and chocolate products are rich sources of caffeine and should be avoided prior to bedtime -- by at least four to six hours -- according to health researchers at Harvard Medical School. Furthermore, eating meat or other protein-rich foods can inhibit sleep by blocking the production of serotonin -- a calming neurotransmitter that induces relaxation and sleep.
Reduced Heartburn and Indigestion
Eating too quickly or lying down immediately after a meal can trigger indigestion or heartburn, the burning pain which can prevent you from falling asleep or wake you in the middle of the night. Eating slowly promotes good digestion and sitting up allows gravity to assist the movement of food through your gastrointestinal system. Certain spicy or acidic foods increase the risk of heartburn and other digestive problems -- particularly citrus fruit, fried food, peppery food, garlic, onions and tomato-based items like pasta sauce, salsa and chili.
Be realistic with your schedule and determine when a likely bedtime is on most nights. Once you’ve figured that out, then you can plan your dinner times. The time difference between eating and sleeping should be at least three hours -- to ensure good digestion and reduce the risk of heartburn -- but probably not much more than five hours due to the likelihood of developing hunger pains. Three hours also gives you enough time to take a walk or do something active and burn off some calories if you exceed your daily calorie limit.
- Northwestern University: News Center: Night Owls at Risk for Weight Gain
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Sleep Problems
- Harvard Medical School: Twelve Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep
- NDHealthFacts.org: Sleep
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC): Heartburn, Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD):
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