“If you are hungry, you should eat something, regardless of the time of day,” says Aimee Takamura, registered dietitian and director of wellness and sustainability at Restaurant Associates. “The act of eating late at night does not affect metabolism or lead to many of the adverse effects you may have heard of.
No conclusive evidence suggests eating at night is automatically harmful to your health — but eating certain foods before bed may disrupt your sleep. In general, experts recommend eating your last meal or snack at least two to three hours before bed to give your body time to digest.
No, you shouldn't eat before bed, says Supan, and one reason is because of the way your body functions. “When you eat late at night, you're going against your body's circadian rhythm,” she says. It's all about the way your body adjusts its insulin sensitivity. Your body is more sensitive in the morning on purpose.
Unfortunately, yes. Late-night eating has been linked to a number of health concerns, from weight gain to severe acid reflux. Plus, calories consumed at bedtime are way more likely to be stored as fat.
Dining Late at Night
Aside from causing belly fat, eating late and reclining on a full stomach increases your risk of developing acid reflux and indigestion, since gravity is no longer able to pull everything in your tummy straight down.
Calories consumed at night won't change your metabolism or count more than calories consumed during the day. Weight gain and weight loss comes down to a simple math equation, explains Day. “Too many calories taken in versus not enough expended on any given day, regardless of the time, will lead to weight gain.”
No, sleeping after meals will not necessary make you fat. While it may seem like eating before bedtime would lead to weight gain because you are not burning off the calories you've consumed. However, it really doesn't matter when you eat as long as you don't eat more calories than you burned off during the day.
There's no set time you should stop eating before bed, but as a guide, you should aim to have your last meal two to three hours before going to sleep. Avoid late-night meals, late-night snacking, and nighttime eating as much as possible.
Don't Go to Bed Hungry
Going to bed without a last meal means your body has less energy to rejuvenate and repair itself. Plus, with less energy, the body holds onto existing fat for energy, making it harder to lose weight and easier for weight gain to occur.
Eating late can cause belly fat as it disrupts sleep, messes up your body clocks, and people tend to go for unhealthier food options late at night. Stop eating two to three hours before bed to stop this from happening.
"Most often, feeling hungry at night is caused by a late bedtime or an underlying sleep issue," Brilling said. "We recommend seven to eight hours of sleep at night. Many adults suffer from some kind of sleep disturbance, such as insomnia or sleep apnea. Night waking is often 'treated' with food."
If a person wakes up hungry during the night, they may not have eaten enough during the day or changed their routine to get more exercise. Alternately, a person may not be getting enough sleep, or they may have night eating syndrome.
“If you are hungry, you should eat something, regardless of the time of day,” says Aimee Takamura, registered dietitian and director of wellness and sustainability at Restaurant Associates. “The act of eating late at night does not affect metabolism or lead to many of the adverse effects you may have heard of.
You Might Be Eating Too Little
This phenomenon is called “starvation mode,” and while your body isn't actually starving, it will naturally hold onto whatever calories it receives in an effort to help you maintain your energy balance.
People who regularly eat and drink more calories than they burn each day are more likely to gain extra weight, including belly fat. Getting older also makes a difference. People lose muscle as they age. And the problem is worse for those who are not physically active.
Going to bed hungry doesn't just mean less sleep — it may also be bad news for those trying to build muscle. If deprived of nutrients for long enough, your body can start to break down muscle for energy (also called a catabolic state).