Eating Before Bed And Weight Gain

Are you concerned about eating before bed and weight gain?  For many people, busy schedules and poor eating habits combine to make eating before bed a nightly ritual that often sabotages both sleep and healthy weight management. What are some facts that you should know about eating before bed and weight gain?

The body does require more calories during the day than during rest. It is no surprise that the human body uses more of the calories from food and drinks during waking hours to function and maintain activity levels. According to some medical professionals, a heavy meal eaten before bed is not as fully utilized by the body since the calories and nutrients are not as necessary during rest—leaving more of the meal free to turn to fat in theory.

Large meals at night may disrupt restful sleep. Many scientists believe that while a small bedtime snack is acceptable and helps many achieve a better night’s sleep, a full meal has the opposite impact. Lying down after a large meal disrupts digestion—and can even bring on symptoms of nausea or heartburn making the person too uncomfortable to sleep. Less sleep at night often creates a more sluggish stride through the next day—reducing a person’s activity level and leading to weight gain.

When should you eat your evening meal? Scientists have different opinions, but eating a large meal past 6 or 7 p.m. is often discouraged. For those with late night schedules, dieticians avoid a defined time—and instead suggest delaying bedtime at least three hours after dinner.

Do you really gain more weight if you eat before bed—or is it only a myth? Scientists sometimes disagree about the impact of eating large meals before bed. They do agree that the human body only needs a certain amount of fat and calories. When humans consume more calories than necessary, they gain weight. Unfortunately, it seems that many consume the most calories in the evening—sometimes excessively—leading to the correlation between bedtime eating and weight gain.