“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.
Eating at night, therefore, can have varied effects on how fast we fall asleep, the quality of our sleep, and how we feel in the morning. Although experts do not recommend large meals before bedtime, a light snack can have several benefits. A snack before going to sleep may be necessary to prevent low blood sugar.
So while going to bed hungry isn't necessarily bad on occasion, it's critical to consider how often this occurs and if it's a result of depriving yourself of essential nutrients. Some research suggests that going to bed with hunger pains might do more harm than good.
If you really are experiencing late-night hunger pains, reach for a low-cal, whole-grain snack like whole-wheat toast, high-fiber cereal, or popcorn. "Whole-grain carbs help release serotonin in the brain, which make you feel calm and ready for sleep," Moskovitz says.
“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.
Going to bed on an empty stomach can leave your stomach empty or wanting to be filled. However, going to bed hungry is considered healthier than eating too close to bedtime. Eating right before bedtime or having a late dinner can lead to increased body mass index (BMI), indigestion or insomnia.
Sleep interruptions
You might actually be physically hungry, which causes you to wake up as your body attempts to get the calories and nutrients it needs. Or, if you're lacking key nutrients, your body may also have trouble staying asleep.
Scientists think the timing of meals can affect our biological rhythms. Making breakfast the largest meal of the day is best for losing weight, studies have found. It's best to stop eating three hours before bedtime, according to scientists.
Should I go to bed hungry? Feeling a little bit hungry before bed can be a good thing, as you don't want to feel overly full before bed. However, you don't want so hungry that you can't relax and fall asleep. So if you're struggling to sleep and find your stomach feels empty, a light snack may help you fall asleep.
"When it comes to weight loss, going to bed a little bit hungry can help because it keeps hormones like insulin low, and that can help facilitate weight loss," Davis says. But she reiterates that having a big dinner right before bed has the opposite effect.
Studies show that for optimal health, it's best to consume most of your calories earlier in the day rather than later — for example by eating a large breakfast, a modest lunch, and a small dinner.
They state that a normal stomach should be 90 percent empty after four hours. The difference between this standard and the earlier study probably reflects differences in foods. Solids take longer to digest than liquids; fats take longer to digest than protein or carbohydrates.
You've Changed Your Sleep Habits
The hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin stimulate and suppress appetite, respectively—and when you're sleep-deprived, ghrelin levels go up, and leptin levels go down. "This leads to increased hunger and more inadvertent snacking during the day and night," says Petre.
The urge for midnight snacking or sudden food cravings often happen when you have an early dinner and sleep late. Your body suddenly feels depleted and gives you hunger pangs making you binge in the middle of the night.
Spikes in blood sugar
When you eat a big meal, particularly rich in highly-processed foods, your blood sugar rises. This causes a rise in insulin, the hormone that sends circulating blood sugar into your cells to be used as energy. This causes a subsequent energy drop, which can leave you feeling hungry again.
Choosing smaller, nutrient-packed meals or snacks — like smoothies, soups, or yogurt with fruit and granola — can make sure you're still getting in important nutrients for your body to work properly until you regain your appetite.
The consensus? It can impact your digestion and metabolic processes, but a late dinner is better than no dinner.
Many dietitians and nutritionists suggest a fasting period at night helps you lose weight, improve your metabolism, boost your health, and stabilize your blood sugar. Some popular options are 12- or 15-hour fasting schedules. For example, if you're on a 12-hour schedule, you would only eat for 12 hours of the day.