Nothing beats a hearty, home-cooked meal, a late-night snack of chips, or a warm cookie right before bed after a long day. But is it harmful to eat right before bed? Both weight gain and weight decrease are possible. How does it affect your ability to sleep? These concerns are discussed by experts, who frequently offer contradictory advice.
Nutritionists, personal trainers, and sleep specialists all have different perspectives on these concerns, and many of them disagree on whether eating before bed is a good idea.
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How Long Should I Wait To Sleep After Eating?
So, what are the rules here? Should you always wait 30 minutes by the pool after lunch like your mother before going to bed? No, you should set aside more time. Experts recommend waiting at least three hours after eating before going to bed. This gives your body time to digest food, so you won’t stay up at night because of stomach discomfort, indigestion, or acid reflux. It can also help you stay asleep.
Don’t give up a meal in order to obey this rule. Life happened. If you go home at 8:30 p.m. and want to go to bed before 10 o’clock, you should not skip dinner because there is no three hours between eating and sleeping. The “three hour rule” is not a “must” – it’s just a guiding principle you can follow (like the 30 minute rule in a swimming pool).
How Food Choices Affect The Nighttime Eating?
If you find yourself hungry in that window, all your hopes will not be dashed. Because contrary to previous views on midnight snack – in order to maintain or reduce weight and improve body composition, midnight snack should be limited or avoided at all costs – the latest research shows that this is not true for all people. For some groups, the negative consequences of eating before going to bed can be avoided. When the food is not a large number of mixed meals, but:
A small amount (~150 kcal)
very nourishing
Low energy consumption
Single-macronutrient
When most of the carbohydrates and calories a person consumes occur in the evening, the result is weight gain. However, when choosing food strategically, eating before bed is beneficial to muscle protein synthesis and heart metabolism.
For obese people, the combination of evening snacks and exercise training can reverse any adverse effects.
In a study of overweight and obese adults, some participants ate cereal and mugs of skimmed milk at least 90 minutes after dinner, while the placebo group followed their normal diet and post meal snack behavior. In a four week study, people who ate snacks before bed found:
Reduce total daily calorie intake
Low calorie intake at night
Moderate weight loss (-0.84 ± 1.61 kg)
According to the researchers’ theory, when people know that there are snacks to eat at night, they eat less at dinner.
Why Can’t You Sleep After Eating?
Add the habit of “avoiding late meals” to your energy schedule in the rise app to remind yourself to stop eating three hours before going to bed.
First, napping after a big meal can lead to digestive problems. This is because whether sitting or standing, generally speaking, an upright posture is conducive to digestion. Lying down after eating too early will cause gastrointestinal discomfort, which may aggravate heartburn, indigestion or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) – it is difficult for you to sleep well. Sleeping after meals will also reduce your wake-up threshold (the possibility of something waking you up) and increase sleep debris (the frequency of your waking up at night). This will inevitably make it difficult for you to meet your sleep needs.
The time of eating in the evening should also be consistent every day. This is why we created the habit of “avoiding late meals” in the rise application, which you can add to your energy schedule. You will receive an in app reminder to stop eating three hours before the melatonin window. This is the peak period of melatonin secretion in your body and the ideal time to sleep.
Although for the above reasons, eating a big meal late at night often brings problems, it is important to note that not everyone has the same reaction to bedtime food. Some people may benefit from the little spot before going to bed, because it can help balance blood sugar levels and prevent hypoglycemia (hypoglycemia) from interfering with sleep.
If you often find yourself hungry when you wake up in the middle of the night and lose sleep in the process, it’s a good idea to have a snack before going to bed. However, we suggest that the calories of meals or snacks should be controlled below 600 calories. Avoid simple carbohydrates, such as baked goods, fruit juice, or sugary cereals.
It’s Not Last Meal Of The Day That Matters
It is not just the time of the last meal that affects the circadian rhythm, but the time of all meals. This is because food is a timing factor (circadian rhythm cue). In situations such as night shifts, it is recommended that you do not eat outside your natural sleep wake cycle, even if you may be awake at that time. Doing so will lead to circadian rhythm disorders, which will lead to weight gain, elevated blood glucose levels and increased liver fat, a study published in October 2021 warned. The good news is that adjusting your body clock by sticking to your meal time can reduce the chances of these metabolic health risks.
For some people, eating within 8-12 hours – also known as intermittent fasting (if) or limited time eating (TRE) – has been shown to further support the body’s natural digestion clock, thereby helping you sleep better. Eating at a specific time will help you keep your meals at the same time every day. In addition, if can also play a buffer role before going to bed to avoid the bad habit of eating too late. Additional benefits: these dietary patterns can enhance your circadian health, brain health, and heart metabolic health (blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, weight, and heart disease). In addition, the latest scientific opinion published in July 2022 found that only about 7% of adults in the United States have good cardiac metabolic health.
How Does Diet Affect Sleep?
On the other hand, eating can also affect sleep.
Again, the time you eat and snack is very important, because your digestive system is controlled by your circadian rhythm. In a period of about 24 hours, the way we metabolize food varies at different times. Because food intake is a circadian rhythm prompt, the time of eating will change the sleep wake time, and frequent snacks will interfere with them, which may lead to lack of energy and weight gain.
For example, in December 2021, researchers found that eating at night will aggravate glucose intolerance and circadian rhythm disorders, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Limiting diet to daytime can prevent this from happening, even when participants stay up late.
Caffeine, alcohol and other foods can also delay and destroy sleep. The end result is that you are unlikely to meet your sleep needs, accumulate sleep debt, and cause a vicious circle of weight gain, obesity, and overall poor health, as mentioned above.
So, what should I eat for better sleep? In general, a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and lean protein is said to contribute to adequate natural sleep. A recent literature review in June 2022 showed that a healthy diet is associated with better sleep quality.
Certain foods and micronutrients can promote sleep, such as:
Tryptophan is an amino acid that promotes sleep. It is converted into serotonin and then into melatonin in the brain. It is found in Turkey, chicken, eggs, spinach, chickpeas, milk, nuts, dried dates and oats.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by our body to promote sleep. It also exists in a variety of foods, including eggs, fish, nuts, brown mushrooms, seeds, sour cherries, corn, asparagus, tomatoes, pomegranates, olives, grapes and broccoli.
Magnesium is a powerful mineral and natural relaxant, which can inhibit the production of adrenaline. Because magnesium deficiency can lead to sleep problems, look for foods rich in magnesium, such as dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, soybeans, avocados, and bananas.
Fiber is a non digestible carbohydrate, which is good for digestion, sleep and overall health. To get its benefits, eat lots of beans, broccoli, berries, avocados, apples, nuts and whole grains.
If you need help, especially a few hours before going to bed, consult a licensed health care professional, such as a dietitian or nutritionist.
Foods And Drinks That Can Help You Sleep Better
If you eat late night snacks, avoid foods that may cause heartburn. Spicy and acidic foods, such as citrus and tomatoes, can be especially troublesome. Alcohol, chocolate and even peppermint may also worsen heartburn and reflux.
Alcohol initially makes you feel sleepy, but it wears off quickly and can actually interrupt your sleep. By relaxing your respiratory muscles, alcohol may also exacerbate sleep apnea, a sleep disorder in which you repeatedly stop breathing during the night.
Also, avoid caffeine in coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks and chocolate. Caffeine blocks adenosine, a chemical that makes you feel sleepy. Caffeine may contribute to insomnia when consumed close to bedtime.
It can also increase the need to urinate at night, a condition known as nocturia. Not everyone is sensitive to caffeine, but if you are, consider limiting your caffeine intake to earlier in the day.
Conclusion
To promote a better night’s sleep, you might wish to schedule your supper time such that there are roughly three hours between your last meal and bedtime.
A modest evening snack shouldn’t be a problem, but stay away from acidic and spicy foods, coffee, and other substances that can cause reflux and heartburn.
Although it may initially make you tired, alcohol can also disrupt sleep.