What about that late-night snack? Is it OK to eat and then go to bed? Will it make you gain weight?
It’s a controversial topic, and the common perception is that we should avoid eating late, as it could cause weight gain. That’s because some feel that the body doesn’t have time to digest the food before sleep, resulting in the body storing the food as fat rather than it being immediately used as energy. Others feel eating before bed confuses our circadian rhythm. But if you haven’t eaten enough calories throughout the day, a bedtime snack might be needed.
When we sleep, our metabolism may slow down 10% to 15% compared to during waking hours, says Melissa Prest, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She recommends stopping eating two to three hours before bedtime to help the body digest food. It’s important to eat enough during the day to feel full and satisfied. Our bodies need to rest and repair at night.
Research in the Journal of Obesity finds that those who eat a large meal close to bedtime tend to skip breakfast because they are still full and are also more likely to be overweight. The Journal article, “The Association of Having a Late Dinner or Bedtime Snack and Skipping Breakfast with Overweight in Japanese Women,” was published in March 2019. Researchers at Tokyo’s National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation looked at 19,687 Japanese women ages 40-74 and found participants’ eating behaviors (eating a late dinner, bedtime snacks, skipping breakfast) were associated with an increased risk of being overweight or obese.
Eating a carbohydrate-rich meal close to bedtime may cause your body to store the calories as fat rather than use them as immediate fuel, says Prest. She explains that spikes in insulin signal the body to store fat for energy reserves. As metabolism slows at night, having a large, sugary treat triggers insulin.
Rather than choosing a treat high in fat or sugar, she recommends a light snack that includes fiber and protein, such as an apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter or a piece of string cheese with a whole-grain cracker. The fiber helps to slow the rise of glucose after eating and the protein helps with muscle repair and healing.
It’s also best to eat a larger meal earlier in the day rather than too close to bedtime, or it may be more difficult to fall asleep. However, if you go to bed hungry, you may struggle to fall asleep.
The bottom line is: Eat enough calories — but not too many — throughout the day with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy and water.
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