Eating at night. You most probably heard the statement “Don’t eat at night, it’s unhealthy” at a certain moment in your life. Let us check this statement out in this post and answer the following questions.
-Is it healthy to eat at night?
-If it is healthy, than what is the origin of those sayings?
-If it is unhealthy, then from which hour at night?
-What are the consequences of eating at night?
-How can we minimize the harming effects even if we wish to eat at night
-Do we gain weight as a result of nighttime eating?
Also in case you are having trouble falling asleep consider taking a cold shower.
Is it healthy to be eating at night?
Night eating is defined as eating between dinnertime and sleep .
The answer is unfortunately: It depends. ( I would like a clearer answer too 🙁 )
There are two main factors that might determine whether it would be healthy or not to eat at night.
1. How close you eat to sleep time – As a rule of thumb, it is best not to eat within 2-3 hours before sleep (Digestion time for most foods fits inside that area)
2. The type of food you eat – If you do choose to eat before sleep, It is best to eat light foods as fruit or vegetables that digest quickly. (Post with digestion times Tables coming soon)
Do we gain weight as a result of eating at night?
* Research shows that Metabolic Rate overnight and during day are more or less the same (it goes down at night only a little bit)
* On the contrary other research shows that people who eat during nighttime tend to gain more calories.
The reason for this contradiction might be simple. The snack that people eat at night is just extra calories.
It makes sense because people tend to feel the hungriest at night, especially if they limit themselves in food throughout the day, and they combine it with watching tv after work and so they overeat without noticing.
Simplified answer: No, we don’t gain more weight when we eat at night, a calorie is a calorie.
What are the consequences of eating at night?
Even though you might not gain weight from eating at night, it might
be unhealthy in many other ways
For example:
1. It may aggravate or initiate your acid reflux* symptoms
2. May increase risk of heart disease or stroke
3. Cultivating bad habits – It may cause a sensation of fullness in the morning. Therefor causing you to skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast may contribute to consuming too many snacks throughout the day.
4. May increase mental exhaustion and willpower as a result of the digestion interrupting the sleep process.
Foods that help and interrupt sleep
Helping foods
Those foods might help you improve your sleep quality, but it is suggested to eat them 2-3 hours before bedtime.
1. Bananas
2. Almonds
3. Honey
4. Oats
5. Turkey
Interrupting foods
1. Alcohol
2. Cheese
3. Spicy foods
4. Fatty foods
5. Coffee
But what if I'm right before bed and I'm dead hungry?
It is best not to eat close to bedtime. But if you do, choose fast digesting foods.
For example the fastest digesting food is a Melon, which takes 20 minutes to digest
Then comes a watermelon that takes up to 30, Bananas take 40 and so on. (Full table coming soon) meanwhile, for more info check this out.
Bottom line
Although calorie intake is the same at all times of the day. Eating at night really close to bedtime is not recommended and may cause health problems. But if you eat a fast digesting food it might be okay. Eating close to bedtime is defined as closer than 2 hours to sleeptime.
If there are any questions that remain unanswered make sure to write them in the comments below and I will not leave you wondering 🙂
Vocabulary
*Acid reflux – It is a common condition that features a burning pain, known as heartburn, in the lower chest area. It happens when stomach acid flows back up into the food pipe.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) – is diagnosed when acid reflux occurs more than twice a week.
Sources
Is it healthy to eat at night?
1. Why eating late at night may be particularly bad for you and your diet
2. Should you eat just before bed? All the risks explained
3. Is it bad to eat before bed?
4. Does Eating Late At Night Cause Weight Gain? Health Hazards Of Eating Late At Night
5. Is it bad to eat at night? 6 Reasons to avoid nighttime meals and snacks
6. Does eating late at night cause weight gain?
7. What to eat before bed if you want a good night’s sleep – and what to avoid
9. Time to digest foods and why it’s important